Photo: Trevor Wolfe

The B.C. Ministry of Environment says about 10,000 litres of diesel spilled onto Highway 3 after a tanker crashed into a concrete barrier just west of Hedley.

The ministry was alerted to the crash of the 'B train' tanker, which was carrying 12,000 litres of diesel, at 7:50 p.m. on Monday.

The ministry said in an email the majority of the diesel spilled onto the road, while little, if any, made it to the Similkameen River.

Response crews have off-loaded the remaining 2,000 litres of diesel to another truck.

Clean-up activities are still ongoing, and Ministry of Environment staff are continuing to monitor the situation, with an environmental contractor still on site to determine the impact of the spill and perform long-term monitoring.

Under B.C.'s polluter pays principle, costs for the clean-up are paid for by the polluter, according to the ministry.

The ministry said Interior Health and First Nations Health authorities were notified of the spill.

In an email statement, Interior Health said because they weren't aware of any diesel making it into the river, they found no cause for a public health concern.

"Our public health experts assessed the situation as soon as it was reported to us, and based on all available information, they determined there is no risk to public health as a result of this motor vehicle incident," said Interior Health spokesperson Tara Gostelow. "We continue to monitor the situation, and if any health hazard develops, we will notify the public immediately."

First Nations Health and RCMP did not respond to requests for comment, as of publication.

Highway 3 closed after the crash Monday evening until about 10 a.m. on Tuesday, when it was opened to single-lane alternating traffic.

The Ministry of Environment said the road is expected to be fully open by 3:30 p.m.