Freedom of Information documents reveal sulphuric acid spills through Trail, B.C., date back to the spring of 2016 when it's estimated 75 litres leaked from a tractor-trailer, at least two years earlier than first believed.

The spill on May 25, 2016 was the first in a series of environmental disasters emanating from the city's zinc and lead smelting operations owned by mining company Teck.

The public was not told about the 2016 spill and there was never an independent investigation done or fines issued by the province.

"The spill was discovered via highway surveillance cameras. The new [transport] trailers are only weeks old and the spill was caused by a faulty design on the dome lid gasket," according to an Emergency Management B.C. dangerous goods incident report written a few days after the 2016 spill.

Two years later on April 10 and May 23, 2018, there were two more major spills originating from the smelter. An estimated 300 litres of sulphuric acid leaked from transport trucks onto Highway 22 through Trail.

The public was not told about the extent of those leaks until months later and, by that time, hundreds of vehicles were being written off, including buses, utility vehicles and Trail's brand new fire truck.

700 vehicles damaged

One car dealer had more than 40 vehicles destroyed by the acid. ICBC says sulphuric acid eats away at brake lines and other components and can make vehicles unsafe to drive months or even years later.

All the car dealers in Trail are suing the parties involved to recoup their losses.

It's believed around 700 vehicles in total were written off because of acid damage which, ICBC says, could turn out to be the largest single payout in its history.

Teck produces the acid at its smelter and sells it to International Raw Material (IRM) who hired the transportation company Westcan Bulk to truck it to a railway reload centre 16 kilometres away, near the American border.

Emails between employees at the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy reveal none of the companies involved in the spill would take responsibility.

"Both the Transport company and Teck Metals deny the spill is related to their work and both will not be taking actions to remediate the affected area," said an email between ministry staff.

Trail's manager of public works was notified and FOI documents show he advised officials to "let it dry," stating that [highway and city maintenance] cleaners would wash it away a couple days later.

Teck Mining Company's zinc and lead smelting and refining complex is pictured in Trail, B.C. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

After admitting to the 2018 spills, there was a fourth spill that Teck and IRM said was minor.

But CBC has obtained the 14-page RCMP report on that fourth spill, which reveals the truck carrying the acid left the smelter at 3:28 p.m. Sept. 22, 2018.

RCMP were not called about the spill until 7:21 p.m. — almost four hours after it was detected — and were advised their presence was not needed.

Cars lining up for acid inspection at the ICBC office in Trail, B.C. (Bob Keating/CBC)

An hour later, at 8:26 p.m., RCMP were called again and asked to meet at the firehall for a situation brief.

At 9:48 p.m., RCMP ordered the highway through Trail to the spill site closed, so the road could be tested for sulphuric acid.

By that time, there was a "significant rain event" that could have affected the tests for sulphuric acid on the highway, Const. Peter Crockford noted in his report.

"Due to a reporting delay and complicated by intermittent rain, no further acid spots could be located," he wrote.

"The trailer is still believed to be leaking, causing concern the amount on the roadway was more than first estimated," he wrote in his report.

No comment

RCMP would not comment on the report, since the acid spills are now part of a court action.

ICBC is suing several parties involved, including Teck, IRM and the provincial government.

"The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy are both defendants in an ICBC civil claim, so we are unable to comment while the matter is before the courts," it said.

Neither Teck nor IRM would comment on the spills.