Iqaluit, NU (July
27, 1999)
A leak
in the heating system at the Iqaluit power plant resulted in the spill
of an estimated 1,500 litres (8 barrels) of glycol coolant liquid this
past weekend, reports the NWT Power Corporation.
The liquid flowed
through a floor drain, then into the ground near a shallow pond. The
pond is part of small stream flowing from nearby Lake Geraldine. The
lake holds the town's water supply. There is no threat to the water
supply as the spill site is well below and downstream of any inflow
to the lake.
When the problem
was discovered July 26, the Corporation advised the Department of Sustainable
Development, which has responsibility for environmental management,
and took steps to contain and recover the liquid. Work started that
afternoon to pump out the glycol and pond water, which is being stored
in barrels at the plant site. A water sampling and downstream monitoring
program was also immediately set up.
An environmental
engineer will arrive in Iqaluit Wednesday, July 28, to assess the situation
and advise of further clean up or remediation steps.
