The fuel tanker-truck that overturned on Friday spilled little of its load and will require little attention from the Ministry of Environment.
Senior Emergency Response Officer for the North, Norm Fallows, said there was a routine investigation but the event was over almost as soon as it happened.
"It was handled, addressed and cleaned up right away," he said. "This will be deemed a low-risk incident event though it had the potential to be high-risk."
The Nechako River was flowing only a stone's throw from where the truck overturned on River Road with 17,000 litres of diesel aboard.
The fuel spilled across the road towards the river, however, none of the fuel got to the water, said Fallows.
"It was a non-reportable spill," he said. "That means it was less than 100 litres, so legally the operator is not duty-bound to call it in to our 1-800 number."
Anything exceeding 100 litres requires the ministry to be notified. There are 3,000 to 4,000 spills each year in B.C., Fallows explained, and most of them are low-risk.
"We have a response officer on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "Most of the time we are notified by the drivers, but sometimes, especially if they are incapacitated, the call is put in by a first responder, if the amount spilled is more than 100 litres."
The public is also encouraged to call 1-800-663-3456 to report any environmental emergency.
