The result of an investigation into a spill at the Woodfibre LNG site in September has been released.
A report by Keystone Environmental concludes that “adequate remedial action” was taken by Woodfibre LNG to clean up the spill of about 3,000 litres of clean water and landfill leachate that spilled on the south side of the Woodfibre site on Sept. 8.
The leachate came from an onsite landfill where leftover debris from the old pulp mill is deposited, according to the report.
At the time of the spill, a Keystone Environmental representative working for Woodfibre acted “immediately” on site and the leachate was transferred to the treatment plant. Contaminated soil was moved to the landfill, says the report. The pipe connection was later reinforced with concrete, the report states.
The report, which is addressed to the environmental protection branch of the Ministry of Environment, also details what led to the spill: During regular maintenance a reducer-component that links a larger pipe to a smaller pipe-disconnected, releasing the leachate. A collection pipe was being flushed with clean water at the same time, the report notes.
“Prior to the work, an on-site excavator had excavated a shallow pit within a historic concrete containment sump,” reads the report. “The discharge spilled into and remained primarily in the berm area inside the sump. No discharge [was] observed entering either Howe Sound, Mill Creek, Ceder Creek or their tributaries.”
“The Ministry of Environment Environmental Protection Division cited Woodfibre LNG Limited’s quick response to the spill, and reporting procedures completed by the company following the incident, in its decision to close the file,” reads a release from Woodfibre LNG.
Spill samples were sent to the lab, Maxxam Analytics, for analysis.
“The results show that the concentration of total aluminum, pH and BOD exceeded BC Water Quality Guidelines and the permitted values under the applicable licence. However, the immediate remediation of the spill and the fact that the discharge did not enter a body of water meant that there was no effect to the aquatic environment,” reads the Woodfibre LNG release.
The full report is embedded into this article.
