Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 13/05) - Between 150-200 litres of hydraulic fluid spilled into a lake north of Yellowknife, Sunday evening, following an accident at the Bluefish Hydro facility.

Although the spill happened several kilometres from the Yellowknife River - the water source for the capital - there was no danger to the city's water supply, said Randy Patrick, North Slave regional director for Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Power Corp. officials said the spill was largely contained to waters around the plant, located about 30km northwest of the capital on a channel between Duncan and Bluefish lakes.

"The vast majority was cleaned up, but it is very difficult to get everything," Patrick said.

A hydraulic seal ruptured on a piece of equipment attached to one of the power plant turbines, though Patrick said officials are not certain why the piece failed.

Workers surrounded the spill site with a specially designed boom that floats on the water surface and absorbs oil, Patrick said. Bluefish supplies 20 per cent of Yellowknife's power.

It was shut down immediately after workers discovered the leak and will remain off-line while power corporation officials conduct an investigation into the mishap, Patrick said.

During the shutdown, workers will also perform maintenance for the next several weeks that was scheduled to take place later this summer.

In the meantime, the power gap will be filled by the Snare Hydro facility, located about 140 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife.

Patrick said the plant will be able to provide enough electricity to the capital during peak-demand summer months.

Officials from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs visited the site Monday and were satisfied with the cleanup process, Patrick said.

The federal department did not return an interview request by press time.

The power corporation bought the Bluefish plant for $10 million from Miramar Mining Corporation in 2002.

The station was originally built in the late 1940s, though the area where the accident occurred was about 10 years old, Patrick said.

The spill was the second incident during the last nine months for the power corporation. In the fall of 2004, nearly 13,000 litres of diesel fuel leaked from the Jackfish power plant.