Oil Clean-Up Continues At Hydro Substation

By 250 News

It’s estimated it could take between one- to two-years to undo the environmental damage caused by a break-in at B.C. Hydro’s Substation along Highway 16, just east of Prince George.

The thieves cut through a fence and broke into a shed, stripping the brass fittings off a spare transformer.  Without the fittings, the transformer leaked its insulating oil.  B.C. Hydro spokesperson, Bob Gammer, says it’s still not known just how much oil spilled, but the transformer had a holding capacity of 18-thousand litres.

Gammer says a clean up crew built a temporary holding cell for the contaminated snow and soil this past weekend.

"They have scraped the ground clean of snow and the top layer of soil where the oil was," he says, "Fortunately, because of the conditions at the time - there was snow and frozen ground - it contained the spill to a fairly small area."

Gammer says there is no cost estimate of the clean up at this point.  "But we’re certainly going to spend the required funds to make sure this soil is treated properly."

A permanent holding cell is expected to be complete by this weekend.  Then, Gammer says, a sort of composting will begin.  He says the contaminated soil will be broken down, "by putting a kind of fertilizer on it and turning it every once and a while until slowly, but surely, it’s once again clean."

Gammer says Hydro has been implementing a number of extra measures around the province in light of recent break-ins at its substations and work-sites, including extra surveillance and removing surplus equipment.  Ironically, the transformer that leaked was scheduled to be moved from the site within the next few weeks.

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