North Frontenac Township Office Evacuated After Oil Spill

Jeff Green | Feb 05, 2014

Sometime on Monday night (February 3) an oil furnace located on the mezzanine of the North Frontenac Township office and public works garage started leaking oil.

No one knows exactly what happened, but the speculation is that a pilot light went out and the oil kept being pumped out. The furnace had been serviced recently.

The oil penetrated to the first floor, mainly into the office of Deputy Clerk Tara Meiske, but also into the offices of the Treasurer Angela Miller and CAO Cheryl Robson.

“Because it is oil and can cause adverse health effects to those who are exposed to it, we called all staff and told them to stay home,” said Mayor Bud Clayton at the beginning of a previously scheduled budget meeting.

Although North Frontenac Council meets on the same site as the township office, they hold their meetings on the upper floor of the fire hall, which is a separate building.

By the time the councilors arrived, police tape had been hastily put up to block all the entrances to the office, and township managers were milling about in the council meeting room.

“We have called our insurer and they told us to call in a service company to see what can be done, and we are waiting for them to get here,” Clayton said, “but I would not be surprised if it takes at least six to eight weeks to clean up and re-open the building.”

All the vehicles in the garage were pulled out and road crews were working, but the garage remained evacuated.

Staff donned fire gear to enter the building to access the main server and other computer equipment so a temporary office could be set up.

“We will likely use this room, and maybe we will move one of the fire trucks from downstairs to another location to make room for temporary offices,” said CAO Robson, “but it really is too early to tell what exactly we will do. We need to be up and running somehow.”

In a demonstration of how uncertain the situation is, at one point during the budget meeting, Robson followed her normal practice of asking council if one of the managers, Chief Building Official George Gorrie, could leave the meeting because the item that required his expertise had been dealt with.

“But I don't have anywhere to go,” Gorrie whispered to Robson, sparking nervous laughter from members of Council.

The budget meeting carried on as normal, and any potential costs resulting from the accident were left to the side for now.

Councilors did talk about some alternative locations for a temporary township office, including the works garage at Lavant Station in the eastern corner of the township or the former MNR office in Plevna, but Mayor Clayton said it was too early to make any plans.

“Anyone who has any ideas is welcome to bring them forward; however, we are going to have to talk about this further, that is certain,” he said.