Hydro One says cleanup efforts are underway after oil from one of its transmission sites leaked into the Don River.
In a statement emailed to Global News, Richard Francella a spokesperson for Hydro One, said early Friday, one of the company’s transformers at Bathurst Transmission Station in North York failed, “resulting in insulating mineral oil being released.”
“We immediately dispatched our environmental emergency response team and cleanup efforts are underway,” the email reads.
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Francella said due to weather conditions and the “nature of the spill,” a “small amount of material left the containment area.”
He said the “majority of the mineral oil is contained on site.”
“But we estimate 0.1 per cent of the mineral oil left the station’s perimeter,” the statement reads.
According to Francella, access to a nearby sewer has been blocked while vacuum trucks and absorbent booms are being used on the ground and in the water.
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He said Hydro One has “engaged” the City of Toronto and the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks in the response to the leak.
Francella said Hydro One “takes its responsibility to the environment and the local community very seriously.”
“Our team of specially trained responders provide 24 hour/7 days per week spill management services,” the email reads. “Our goal, when responding to spills, is to prevent or mitigate potential impacts on the environment and to minimize customer service interruptions.”
According to Francella, in 2020, the company “successfully recovered” 98 per cent of liquid materials that were spilled.
In a statement emailed to Global News, the City of Toronto said Hydro one has “been in contact with the City and has taken carriage of the clean-up.”
“The Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks is also aware of the spill,” the statement said.
The city said there are “no safety concerns” for Toronto’s drinking water.
“Toronto’s drinking water is continuously monitored, tested and analyzed to ensure it meets the strict standards of Toronto Public Health, the Province of Ontario and Government of Canada,” the statement reads.
In an email to Global News, Sunday afternoon, Lindsday Davidson a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, said the ministry’s Spills Action Centre was notified by Hydro One of the incident early Friday morning.
“Hydro One reported that the spill was released to a containment pit with a sump and they retained GFL to perform the cleanup,” the email reads.
According to Davidson, Hydro One reported that the total capacity of the transformer is approximately 85,000 litres.
Davidson said “all of this was leaked however the majority remained on site.”
He said the ministry’s Toronto District office “discussed the cleanup and containment actions with Toronto Water and determined the actions being taken by Hydro One and GFL are appropriate.”
“The Spills Action Centre continues to receive updates on cleanup progress,” Davidson said.
He said Hydro One and GFL continue to monitor the situation.
“There have not been reports of adverse impacts to the environment,” Davidson said.
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