Posted by Eric Haun
Tuesday, June 30, 2015, 11:03 AM
Westview Wood Pellet Terminal (Photo: Port of Prince Rupert)
Seepage from disused fuel pipe contained on Prince Rupert industrial waterfront
Efforts are underway at Prince Rupert’s industrial waterfront to
stop a slow leak from an abandoned fuel pipe, the Prince Rupert Port
Authority reports.
Seepage at the Port of Prince Rupert was first observed Sunday,
with immediate action taken to prevent the contaminant from escaping
into the marine environment, according to the port authority.
Excavation work has permitted access to a nearby junction from
which the pipe can be flushed and capped. This will prevent further
seepage of a small quantity of oily liquid that is believed to be bunker
fuel.
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) was engaged on
Sunday afternoon to contain the small quantity of liquid that reached
the foreshore. WCMRC will also be working to clean the shoreline and
immediate vicinity.
The pipe passes under property owned by the Port of Prince Rupert,
terminating adjacent to the marine berth of Westview Wood Pellet
Terminal. The containment and cleanup response was triggered when
terminal staff reported a rainbow sheen near the tideline Sunday.
While the small quantity of escaped oil is believed to pose minimal
risk to marine life and vegetation, an environmental consultant engaged
by the port authority has been onsite since Monday morning to assess
potential impacts.