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One of the ferries that operates between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia has leaked coolant into the waters off of Charlottetown, the Canadian Coast Guard says.
MV Confederation had been docked at the harbour 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 said in a statement 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 reads.
“The Canadian Coast Guard conducted an assessment and confirmed a non-recoverable amount of coolant was released into the marine environment.
“The operator of the MV Confederation is conducting repairs to mitigate any further risk of marine pollution.”
The passenger vessel, which is operated by Northumberland Ferries Limited and owned by Transport Canada, normally services the run 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 in and out of the freezing waters of Charlottetown Harbour examining the underside of Confederation where its keel coolers are located.
He said the crew noticed the machinery wasn’t properly cooling the ship’s engines as it departed for Newfoundland, so the ferry headed back to Charlottetown.
No one from Northumberland Ferries was available to comment on Wednesday.
Transport Canada has said it’s aware of the mechanical issues and it is monitoring the situation, though the coast guard will continue to oversee the response to the incident.