Human error was the cause of a diesel spill in the basement of Citadel Care Centre on Thursday. Firefighters were called out to 25 Erin Ridge Road around 2 p.m. on Sept. 11 to contain an estimated 200 to 300 litres of diesel fuel.
Human error was the cause of a diesel spill in the basement of Citadel Care Centre on Thursday.
Firefighters were called out to 25 Erin Ridge Road around 2 p.m. on Sept. 11 to contain an estimated 200 to 300 litres of diesel fuel.
A new contractor was filling the building's back up generator with diesel and might not have been familiar with the system, said Mike Boss, fire investigator with the City of St. Albert.
“There is a safeguard in place, but … the operator made an error when filling and overfilled substantially. A fair amount did go down into the sanitary sewer.”
The generator's tank can hold up to 1,200 litres.
Firefighters mopped up as much as they could and contained the spill using Hazmat absorbent socks and pillows. The ventilation system was also re-directed so the odour would not permeate the rest of the building, explained Boss.
The building was deemed safe enough so that no Citadel residents or staff were evacuated.
Public works and personnel from the city's office of environment were also called in.
Staff went to the closest inspection manhole for the sanitary line and observed an oily sheen over the water, said Jeff Yanew, environmental co-ordinator with the city.
It is difficult to know how much fuel flowed into the sanitary collection system, he said.
Staff immediately put out a hydrocarbon absorbent boom in the channel to catch any residual diesel. Petroleum hydrocarbons products such as diesel float on top of water and can be skimmed off.
Overall, risk to the environment is low, said Yanew. The sanitary sewer system is a “closed loop system” that delivers water straight to the Alberta and Capital Regional Wastewater Commission Plant.
“It (won't) leach out and effect soil, ground water or storm water,” he explained.
“From the environment standpoint, we're pretty lucky that it did go into the sanitary system. It going into the sanitary system is a lot better than it going into the storm system, which goes right to the river.”
The spill was reported to Alberta Environment and city staff will continue to monitor the inspection manhole outside Citadel, said Yanew.
The owner or party responsible will be billed for the cost of clean-up materials and fire services response, added Boss.
Quantum Murray, an environmental and industrial services company, was called in to dispose of the resultant hazardous waste.
