Fuel spill posed no threat to Nunavik community: Hydro-Québec

The star on this Google map shows where Inukjuak’s Hydro-Québec plant is located in the community of 1,600. (GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE)

The northern village of Inukjuak has lent a hand to help with the clean-up of a fuel spill at the community’s power plant, which is expected to take until November. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

The Northern Village of Inukjuak says efforts to clean up an estimated 13,500-litre diesel spill in the Nunavik community are going “very well.”

Hydro-Québec said last week that the Sept. 14 spill happened during the transfer of diesel between two tanks that supply the power plant in the Hudson coast community of 1,600.

“After the incident, Hydro-Québec responded right away and started sending personnel,” said Shaomik Inukpuk, the town manager at the Northern Village.

“They’re doing the best they can to contain the damage.”

By the time Nunatsiaq News reported the spill Sept. 18, a number of Inukjuammiut had yet to hear of the incident, even though the power plant is located within the community.

Municipal officials say they were made aware no later than Sept. 15, but had to wait to receive information about the spill from the power corporation before they could communicate that information through the local radio.

Hydro-Québec’s response includes sending in three plane loads of both staff and absorbent materials. Crews have been working since last week dredging trenches near the power plant to remove contaminated soil and water, Inukpuk said.

Hydro-Québec has installed three pumping wells to remove spilled diesel, and plans to bring in a fourth well next week, the corporation said Sept. 24.

Quebec power corporation staff are doing the majority of the clean-up, Inukpuk said, with the help of the municipality’s heavy loaders.

“They’ll have to take out contaminated soil and put it where the old landfill is,” he said.

That material will eventually be shipped south, although it’s unclear if that will happen this year or have to wait until next year’s sealift season. The clean-up is expected to take until November.

Soil samples have been taken and sent south for testing, the results of which should be available next week.

Inukpuk said there is some concern among residents about the potential damage a fuel spill that size could have on the environment, but local officials are waiting to see test results first.

Although fuel spills are fairly common in Nunavik, this is one of the larger ones the community has seen, Inukpuk said; 13,500 litres is equivalent to the amount of diesel stored in the fuel tanks of about 10 local homes.

“It’s quite a big amount,” he said.

But Hydro-Québec spokesman Christian Garneau says the power plant is located away from the shoreline, and downstream of the drinking water plant, so there is no risk to the local water supply.

In the meantime, the power plant continues to operate and supply electricity to the community, he said.

Up the coast in Ivujivik, that northern village is considering doing independent testing on its shoreline following an Aug. 1 spill at its power plant that leaked more than 14,000 litres of fuel in the Hudson Strait community.

Hydro-Québec did two rounds of sampling on local fish and algae in the bay that show no trace of contamination, although the corporation said “very small” traces of diesel were discovered is mussels harvested from the area.

But the power corp. says it’s unlikely the contaminant stems from the recent fuel spill.

“People are still concerned that diesel is floating in the bay,” said Ivujivik mayor Peter Iyaituk. “Now we think twice about eating mussels, fish or seaweed from the bay.

“The effect from the spill is bigger than we thought.”

Iyaituk said the Northern Village is looking at doing another round of sampling to ensure it’s safe to harvest from the shoreline.