Oily ooze mystery at city’s marina
Ministry of the Environment working to identify source of spill, clean it up
An oily liquid poured into Little Lake through the city storm sewers late Wednesday morning, and investigators were still trying to identify the source of the spill by day’s end.
Firefighters rushed to the marina at about 11 a.m. to try to contain the spill, said acting platoon chief Anthony Ronco of Peterborough Fire Services.
By Wednesday afternoon, the marina still had a gasoline-like smell. Ronco said the liquid could possibly be fuel, although that wasn’t confirmed Wednesday.
Fire crews used a series of inflatable booms to span the wharf, outside the Light House Restaurant, to hold in the spill.
“It’s dammed in — now it needs to be cleaned up,” Ronco said.
The cleanup is in the hands of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, he added.
Ministry officials were on the scene immediately Wednesday, spokesman Gary Wheeler stated
in an email to The Examiner — and they found an oily sheen on the water’s surface.
“Ministry staff are working with the city to identify the source of the spill and gather more information,” Wheeler wrote.
“Staff will follow-up with the responsible party as soon as they are identified, to ensure appropriate actions are taken to clean up the spill and restore the natural environment.”