Evacuation order affected 2,500 people in the Slocan Valley

A jet fuel spill in the Slocan Valley has environmentalists concerned the impacts could be far-reaching and long-term.

Dozens of dead fish continue to turn up along the shoreline.

“Some of these things are out of sight, out of mind,” says Joe Foy with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

When it comes to the clean-up, he says it really depends on how much has gotten into the environment. “Especially where there’s water involved; oil can get into places where you can’t see, and can be killing fish and wildlife for a long time to come.”

“Depending on how much has gotten into the environment, there’ll be soil removal… if it gets into streams, then we can see effects last for many years,” says Foy.

He notes there are a lot of tests to be done in the coming days.

An evacuation order affected 2,500 people after a tanker truck tipped over and spilled the fuel into Lemon Creek.