Aklavik,
NT (May 23, 1999)
Quick action by Aklavik residents and Power Corporation
staff averted serious environmental damage and expense when the power
plant fuel system was damaged by vandalism Saturday morning, May 22.
A flexible pipe
connector was cut open by an axe at around 8 AM, resulting in a spill
of 4413 liters of diesel at the plant site and into a nearby ditch.
The spill was discovered by Aklavik resident Rose Mary Arey who notified
Plant Superintendent Jerry Lennie. Operations Superintendent Jim McPherson
of Inuvik marshaled equipment and flew to Aklavik to supervise the cleanup.
With assistance
from a local contractor and the hamlet, an estimated 90 per cent of
the fuel was pumped out of the ditch, and disposed of by burning at
the local land fill site. About 10 cubic meters of fuel-soaked soil
was scraped up and has been placed in a temporary berm at the plant
site. Those soils have been replaced with clean materials.
The cost of the
clean-up is estimated at $10,000, but does not include final disposal
or remediation of the contaminated soil.
RCMP have charged
a 20 year-old man with attempted break and enter, and mischief to property.
He is scheduled to appear in Territorial Court June 2.
The Power Corporation
wishes to thank Ms. Arey for her prompt response, along with the Environmental
Protection Branch of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic
Development. The help and cooperation provided by the Hamlet of Aklavik,
contractors D Storr and Sons, Dave Hindson of Beaudel Air, Bruce Taylor
of Canadian Helicopters, Paul Wiedermann of Arctic Dove Ltd (Esso bulk
distributor in Inuvik), and Constable Bruce McGregor of the Aklavik
RCMP is also acknowledged.
