Ferry leaked coolant into waters off Charlottetown says Coast Guard

Coolant Leak from Ferry in Charlottetown

One of the ferries operating between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia has leaked coolant into the waters off Charlottetown, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.

The MV Confederation was docked at the harbor in P.E.I.’s capital city before it attempted to sail to St. John’s, N.L., for maintenance on Monday.

The coast guard reported it was notified of “a potential pollution incident” on Tuesday.

“The operator reported that the MV Confederation sustained some damage due to ice as it was departing the wharf that may have resulted in the release of coolant,” the statement said.

“The Canadian Coast Guard conducted an assessment and confirmed a non-recoverable amount of coolant was released into the marine environment,” it added.

“The operator of the MV Confederation is conducting repairs to mitigate any further risk of marine pollution.”

The passenger vessel, operated by The Northumberland Ferries Limited and owned by Transport Canada, usually services the route between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., during the summer and fall months.

Jeff Joyce, general manager of Northumberland Ferries, told CBC News on Tuesday that a team of divers spent the day examining the underside of the Confederation in the freezing waters of Charlottetown Harbour.

He noted that the crew observed the machinery wasn’t properly cooling the ship’s engines as it departed for Newfoundland, prompting the ferry to return to Charlottetown.

No one from Northumberland Ferries was available for comment on Wednesday.

Transport Canada stated it is aware of the mechanical issues and is monitoring the situation, while the coast guard will continue to oversee the response to the incident.

Incident Summary