Diesel spill contained in Mimico Creek, city and province launch cleanup and investigation
Posted June 22, 2026 12:06 pm.
Last Updated June 22, 2026 6:17 pm.
City of Toronto emergency crews are responding to a diesel spill in Mimico Creek after fuel was discovered in the waterway on Sunday evening.
The city confirmed to CityNews that teams were deployed on June 21 in the Legion Road and Manitoba Street area and immediately began containment efforts. Absorbent booms — floating tubes designed to trap and soak up petroleum products — have been placed across sections of the creek to limit the spread of diesel downstream.
Liza Ballantyne, Director of Environment, Energy and Emergency for the City of Toronto, said the municipality is now working closely with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on both cleanup and the investigation into how the fuel entered the water.
“We are working closely with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on cleanup efforts and an investigation into the source and cause,” Ballantyne told CityNews.
The ministry says the discharge of an oily substance appears to have been a one-time release from material captured in the storm sewer system, believed to be weathered diesel fuel.
They add conditions have stabilized since containment measures were established. The MECP tells CityNews no impacts to fish or aquatic wildlife have been observed.
“The ministry continues monitoring the situation to ensure appropriate spill remediation measures are taken,” read their statement.
This is not the first time Mimico Creek has been affected by a spill. In August 2023, a contamination event from an Etobicoke industrial fire washed into the creek, resulting in visible pollution and impacts to wildlife. That incident prompted a multi‑agency response and raised concerns about industrial runoff and emergency preparedness in the area.
