Nova Scotia Power cleaning up oil spill in Halifax harbour

Dozens of workers are on the shores and in the water off Tufts Cove in Halifax harbour to clean up an unknown quantity of oil that spilled from the Nova Scotia Power generating station there, the utility said Friday.

The leak was in an exterior pipe that runs from a storage tank to the facility, the company said. It was discovered Thursday during a routine inspection by staff. 

NSP could not say exactly when the leak began or how much oil was released into the water and along the shores of the harbour.

Spokesperson Tiffany Chase said the oil may have been leaking for "a matter of tens of minutes or an hour or two" and that staff do inspections several times a day to look for problems such as leaks.

"We have very strict safety and environmental protocols that we follow and that's why we were able to find it quickly."

She said the hole was "relatively small" and staff are working on estimating how much oil leaked.

Rocks along the coastline were slick with a coating of oil Friday morning.

Chase said more than 60 workers with the power company and its contractor began a cleanup Thursday night.

Three yellow booms are in the water surrounding the generating plant to contain the spill, while vacuum trucks and oil absorbent materials are being used to remove the oil from the water's surface. 

Chase said the company hasn't identified any impact from the spill on fish or wildlife yet, and noisemakers are being used to keep birds away from the area.

A helicopter and boats are being used to assess the water and shoreline in the area to prioritize areas for cleanup.

"The company has launched an internal investigation of the incident, which will include a comprehensive root cause analysis to ensure this type of incident does not occur again," the company's news release said.