By TERRY PUGH
Approximately 10 gallons (37.854 litres) of used motor oil appeared to have been purposely dumped in a ditch along Township Road 381 south of Martensville by unknown culprits sometime in early May.
“Somebody made a decision that was not too smart,” said Martensville Fire Chief Dean Brooman, “A much better option would have been to recycle the stuff.
“Used oil is a potentially hazardous material that can contaminate surface water and groundwater. Fortunately, this was a small spill and it’s contained.”
Martensville Fire Department members were dispatched to the scene on Wednesday morning, May 13 after an RCMP officer in the area noticed an oil-soaked patch of ground with two five-gallon containers nearby.
The RM of Corman Park was also informed of the incident and took charge of coordinating clean-up efforts.
Saskatchewan Association for Resources Recovery Corporation (SARRC) Executive-Director Ethan Richardson said the risk of contamination from the careless disposal of used oil varies depending on the quantity of oil spilled, as well as its location, particularly its proximity to water.
“The main risk is if it ends up in a water body,” said Richardson. “The biggest impact comes if it’s a major spill in fish-bearing rivers and lakes. It can also have an impact if it contaminates wells or drinking water sources.”
If the spill isn’t near a water body, it has less negative impact.
“One of the characteristics of used motor oil is it’s a heavy sort of oil and relatively immobile if it’s spilled on soils,” he said. “It can impact plant growth in the immediate area where it’s dumped. Regretfully, in the past, some people have even used it as a weed suppressant.”
Richardson said recycling used oil is relatively easy.
For the past three decades, the SARRC has accepted used oil at its 36 drop-off locations across the province. There is no charge for the service.
“The way the recycling program works is, when you buy lubricating oil at a store, there is an environmental handling fee of six cents per litre that you pay up front. That environmental handling fee goes to fund the recycling network in Saskatchewan.
“So, in effect, you’ve already paid for the recycling when you purchase the oil.”
Richardson said the closest eco-centre in this area is located at Saskatoon’s ‘material recovery centre’ just outside the city’s landfill near Valley Road. The eco-centre can accept up to 500 litres of used oil at a time. It also accepts used oil filters, used antifreeze and used oil and antifreeze containers.
“In an ideal world, whoever dumped those two five-gallon pails could have just taken them to the eco-centre in Saskatoon,” said Richardson. “One of the great things about used motor oil is that it is actually very useful. It can be upgraded into diesel fuel or refined into new lubricating oil. That reduces the need for crude oil to be pumped out of the ground.”
Richardson said the SARRC eco-centres handle approximately 7 million litres of used oil and related products annually. Over the past three decades, the agency has handled 477.4 million litres of used oil.
“Could we handle more? The simple answer is yes,” said Richardson. “We’re set up to handle the volumes that are sold into Saskatchewan. We’re working to increase the rate of recycling, so instances like having that ten gallons of used oil go into the ditch don’t happen. Regretfully, that material is now lost and can’t be recycled.”
Additional information on Saskatchewan’s used oil recycling program is online at