Contaminated soil from Pond Inlet diesel spill to stay put

Some contaminated soil from a diesel spill in Pond Inlet earlier this year can't be cleaned up due to the need to preserve the structural integrity of the area that's propping up the pipe.

On June 11, Nunavut's Petroleum Products Division (PPD) discovered 7,000 litres of diesel had leaked out of a 950-metre pipe that was damaged by the extreme cold over the previous winter. 

CBC has obtained a copy of the final report by the environmental consultant company, Qikiqtaaluk Environmental Inc. (QE), from August 19.

Between June 29 and July 15, they manually excavated 36 cubic metres of impacted soil, and took 18 samples. All 18 exceeded national and territorial environmental quality guidelines. 

At the time, they estimated another 75 cubic metres of affected soil was "reachable", but that it would be almost impossible to excavate all that soil safely. 

"The soil closer to the pipeline should not be removed, to ensure the integrity of the structure under the concrete block that supports the pipeline," the report states. 

There are also boulders around that affected area which can't be moved. 

"Since there is no access for heavy equipment on the northern side of the pipeline, it is almost impossible to remove more soil in depth by manual excavation." 

That concerns Andrew Dumbrille, the North American advisor for the Clean Arctic Alliance. He said fossil fuels can take a long time to break down in the environment, or they bio-accumulate in wildlife and plants.

"These types of chemicals build up in the fatty tissues of wildlife for instance, and their levels increase and they don't disperse," he said. 

"Over months and years … then we consume that build up in our own tissues and that's when we have major health problems like cancers."

Gov't to monitor site for months and years to come

In a statement to CBC, PPD said QE crews returned to Pond Inlet in September and removed another 20 cubic metres of contaminated soil. 

PPD acknowledged there isn't any feasible way to remove more affected soil — but said they'll continue to keep an eye on it. 

"PPD continues to work with regulators and is committed to monitoring the site over the coming months and years to ensure it remains secure and does not pose additional risks to the environment or community," a spokesperson from PPD said.

PPD had believed a large quantity of the diesel went into the ocean and was working to soak that up.

QE crews dug 10 boreholes on the larger pieces of ice and found no fuel stuck in pockets underneath.