On this page
- Introduction
- Request for Records
- March 2018 – Spill Attributed to GE
- May 2019 – Unattributed Spill
- August 2022 – Unattributed Spill
- Licence
Introduction
Local news media in Peterborough reported on three spills of contaminants into Little Lake in 2018 – 2022.
The first and most extensive reporting concerned a spill into Little Lake, near the Peterborough Marina, on March 7, 2018. The spill was soon attributed to a broken fire-suppression line in one of GE’s buildings at 107 Park Street North.
On March 8 and March 9, 2018, Gary Wheeler, spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, described the contaminant as a “petroleum product” or “spilled hydrocarbons (i.e. petroleum product).” Barry Campbell, an environment officer with the City, said “it’s possibly fuel oil or diesel.” Jenna LaPlante, spokeswoman for General Electric Canada, described only “sheens“.1GE would attribute a “hydrocarbon sheen event” to a water main break under Building 14. See AECOM, 2024 PCB Monitoring Report for Stormwater and Groundwater, GEPR Peterborough Site, p. 16 Not until May 18, 2018, did the Ministry acknowledge that GE had contaminated Little Lake with PCBs.
In May 2019, a report of a second spill of contaminants into Little Lake, again near the Peterborough Marina, failed to identify the contaminants or their source. The report recalled that “a broken fire-suppression line from General Electric Peterborough caused a petroleum product to leak into the lake [in March 2018].”
In August 2022, a report of a third spill of contaminants at the south end of Jackson Creek, near Little Lake, also failed to identify the contaminants or their source. The report recalled the spills of contaminants into Little Lake in March 2018 and May 2019.
Request for Records
On September 17, 2026, we submitted the following FIPPA request to Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks:
I am requesting AECOM’s 2018 PCB Monitoring Report for Stormwater and Groundwater for General Electric, Peterborough, ON – along with any internal memos/briefs/etc and correspondence between the Ministry and GE regarding a firemain break in March 2018 that led to the water table flooding the storm sewer pipe and a reported spill at Little Lake, Peterborough, ON.
March 2018 – Spill Attributed to GE
On Wednesday, March 7, 2018, Global News broadcast Firefighters tackling spill on Little Lake in Peterborough.
Peterborough firefighters are working to contain a spill in Little Lake.
Around mid-morning Wednesday, crews were called to the Peterborough Marina along George St. N. following reports of a substance flowing into the water.
There aren’t any boats moored at the marina since it’s currently closed for the winter season.
The substance has a strong odour.
Fire officials say they working to contain the spill and have contacted the Ministry of the Environment to help determine what the substance is and to figure out a way to remove it from the water.
Spill berms have been setup along the shoreline.
On Thursday, March 8, 2018, the Peterborough Examiner published Little Lake spill came from General Electric Peterborough plant:
The contaminant that spilled into Little Lake on Wednesday was a petroleum product from a broken fire suppression line in one of the buildings at General Electric, says the Ministry of the Environment.
The petroleum product flowed from GE’s storm sewer system into the city’s storm sewers and eventually into the lake, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change spokesman Gary Wheeler stated in an email to The Examiner on Thursday.
“GE retained a contractor and an environmental consultant to begin immediate cleanup and to complete a monitoring program at the site,” Wheeler wrote.
An oily sheen on the water’s surface, as well as a gasoline smell, brought city firefighters to the marina at Little Lake on Wednesday morning
Peterborough Fire Services set up inflatable marine booms to contain the spill on Wednesday, and ministry staff attended the scene too
On Thursday there were contractors from Detox Environmental in Bowmanville on the scene, working to clean up the lake
Wheeler wrote that the consultant added extra booms and also used a truck with a specialized vacuum hose to skim contaminated water from the marina
Vacuum trucks were also made available to pump out catchbasins and storm sewer water along the municipal sewer system and on GE’s property, Wheeler wrote
“Ministry staff continue to oversee all clean-up efforts and are working with GE and the city to ensure that the spill is contained and the natural environment is restored,” stated Wheeler.
Jodi DeNoble, the city’s manager of emergency and risk management, said the contractor removed as much of the contaminant from the water as possible on Thursday. “The investigation is ongoing,” she said.
General Electric Canada spokeswoman Jenna LaPlante issued the following response about Wednesday’s Little Lake spill:
Environmental stewardship is a top priority for GE. GE is working in close partnership with the Ministry of Environment and the City of Peterborough to thoroughly investigate the situation and continue taking immediate steps to contain and mitigate a potential source area as quickly as possible.
We are not aware of any spills from current manufacturing activities at the site. Sheens have been identified in one of the on-site sewer lines which entered the sewer as a result of water leaking from a fire suppression main located beneath the building floor.
Immediately after we became aware of the situation, we dispatched teams to assess a potential source area and our teams have been actively engaged in implementing containment at our site, in the City sewers and at Little Lake.
We are undertaking clean up measures to ensure this is adequately dealt with.
These include inspecting the potential source area where the sheens are located and pumping up remaining sheen at Little Lake.
We are working with our contractors, in consultation and cooperation with the City, the MOECC and others, as appropriate, to determine what the sheen is and determine any further work that may be required.
Clifford Skarstedt / Examiner Staff
On Thursday, March 8, 2018, contractors from Detox Environmental in Bowmanville arrived with extra booms and a truck with a vacuum to skim contaminants from the water’s surface. The Ministry offered to provide Peterborough and GE with specialized trucks to pump out catchbasins and sewers in their respective stormwater systems.
“Ministry staff continue to oversee all clean-up efforts and are working with GE and the city to ensure that the spill is contained and the natural environment is restored,” stated Wheeler.
On March 8, 2018, Global News broadcast Broken fire suppression line at GE source of spill in Little Lake.
An oily substance found in Little Lake on Wednesday has been coming from General Electric, Peterborough city officials have determined.
Firefighters and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) spent the day containing a spill by setting up berms along the Peterborough Marina near George Street North. The substance had a strong odour but officials were not originally able to identify what it was.
Barry Campbell, environment officer with the city, says officials traced the spill back to the GE site on Park Street North. “The source of the sheen discharging into Little Lake has been tracked to 107 Park St. N (GE),” he said in an email.
“The exact location on-site has not been identified but City of Peterborough, Environmental Protection Division staff have installed primary containment on-site to reduce the amount of material making its way to Little Lake. ”
Testing continues to determine what the substance is but it’s possibly fuel oil or diesel, said Campbell.
Staff says the MOE has turned over the incident to GE which has hired Accurex to continue cleanup. There does not appear to be any environmental risks based on how quickly the spill was contained.
“The elevated river level may be an issue with getting all of the residual oil out of the storm sewer between George St. and the sewer outlet,” Campbell said.
UPDATE FRIDAY [March 9, 2018]:
Officials say the source of the spill is a broken fire suppression line in one of GE’s on-site buildings.
“The spilled hydrocarbons (i.e. petroleum product) flowed from GE’s storm sewer system into the city’s storm sewer system and eventually into Little Lake,” said Gary Wheeler with the MOECC.
Wheeler says the ministry and GE have collected samples of the spilled material.
“The environmental consultant has deployed additional marine booms in Little Lake and vacuum trucks are skimming the impacted water from the marina,” he said.
“Vacuum trucks are also available to pump out impacted catch basins and storm water along the city’s storm sewer system and on GE’s property. Ministry staff continue to oversee all clean-up efforts and are working with GE and the city to ensure that the spill is contained and the natural environment is restored.”
On March 23, 2018, Global News broadcast 2018-03-23 – Global News – Clean up continues on Little Lake after General Electric spill.
Environmental crews continue to clean Little Lake after an oily substance was found in the water by the Peterborough Marina on Wednesday, March 7.
Peterborough’s General Electric (GE) plant quickly took responsibility for the leak and hired the crews from Bowmanville to clean the mess.
GE originally stated the substance was a petroleum product which leaked from a broken fire suppression line in the plant. The product then went through GE’s storm sewers, which connect with the City’s storm sewers and eventually lead to Little Lake.
Experts says fire suppression lines only ever contain water, or in some cases air. It’s against the fire code for them to contain a petroleum product.
CHEX News contacted GE through the Ministry of Environment Thursday [March 22, 2018] to clarify where the petroleum product came from.
“The fire suppression line that discharged through to GE’s onsite storm sewer system was subsequently contaminated with hydrocarbons from GE’s property,” a spokesperson said.
The Ministry went on to say the spilled carbons (a petroleum product) flowed through the sewers to the lake.
GE did not say where the hydrocarbons came from on their property, or why the fire suppression line was discharged in the first place.
GE has cleaned the oil out of the sewers that stretch from the plant to Little Lake. And the company hired to clean the lake has blocked off storm sewer lines from affected locations at the lake to ensure any left over residue does not leave the GE plant.
The Peterborough Fire Department is not involved in the incident, but fire experts say clean ups involving oil can take a long time.
They say one drop of oil can expand to cover 10 feet in the water. A cup of oil would cover the entire surface of Little Lake.
The Ministry says staff collected samples and have submitted them to their laboratory for priority analysis. They say it’s not clear yet as to the specific quantity of product that was leaked.
The Ministry says it is still reviewing the incident, and has not made any decisions on whether fines will be set.
They’re continuing to assess whether any wildlife has been harmed by the spill.
On May 2, 2018, Global News broadcast Chemical cleanup at Little Lake complete but contingency measures stay in place:
The contamination and spilling of PCBs into Little Lake from the General Electric plant has been contained, said officials from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.
Environmental cleanup trucks have been on-site since March 7 after an oily sheen was visible in the water and seen flowing into the lake from a wastewater sewage outlet near the marina.
General Electric immediately claimed responsibility for the spill, said Aaron Gordon, a senior environmental officer with the province and ensured sampling is ongoing as part of the cleanup and remediation process.
They hired an environmental cleanup company which immediately set out marine booms in the vicinity and a vacuum truck has been skimming the impacted water from the marina.
In a statement, GE said the hydrocarbon or petroleum product leaking into the sewage system originally came from one of its fire suppression lines inside the plant located a few blocks west of Little Lake.
Gordon says the MOE is no longer concerned about the pollution levels in the water, as sampling results have shown a return to normal levels.
“At this point, we are content with the cleanup efforts by GE,” said Gordon. “Hydrocarbons are relatively easily cleaned up and they appear to be all gone.”
From a public health perspective, Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, the chief medical officer of health for the region says there are many concerns when contaminants enter the water.
“Peterborough takes its drinking water from the Otonabee River,” she said. “The source is upstream and so there isn’t a concern with this current spill.
“But in general, we have been aware of the monitoring by both the federal and provincial levels of government of the PCBs that are in the sediment, and we know the levels in the water itself do not pose a risk to the public health.”
There is a legacy of toxic contamination in the Otonabee River that exists from previous industrial and manufacturing waste, and the ministry continues to monitor those levels, as well as monitoring the current spill.
Still, PCBs are a problem because they don’t break down easily and persist in the environment, Salvaterra says, and suggests the chemicals are heavier than water and sink in the river.
“They are in the sediment of our river and Little Lake but as long as we don’t disturb them, they are not a problem.”
GE will continue to take samples and will be submitting them to the MOE for inspection but there is no timeline as to when the docks at the marina might open. The city is hopeful the site can open for business on May 18.
Peterborough Public Health suggests there are no risks to the public’s health with relation to the spill and said that recreational use of the waterway is safe for all.
May 2019 – Unattributed Spill
On May 30, 2019, Global News broadcast Ministry of Environment probing spill in Little Lake in Peterborough:
The Ministry of the Environment has been called in to investigate a spill in Little Lake in Peterborough.
Around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Peterborough firefighters responded to the lake near the marina following reports from anglers and boaters of an unknown substance in the water.
The Ministry of the Environment has been called in to investigate a spill in Little Lake in Peterborough.
Around 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Peterborough firefighters responded to the lake near the marina following reports from anglers and boaters of an unknown substance in the water.
Firefighters worked to contain the substance, using booms to help stop its spread.
A city employee took a sample of the substance to be tested.
It’s not known yet how much of the substance was in the water.
In March 2018, a broken suppression line from General Electric Peterborough caused a petroleum product to leak into the lake, which is located in the centre of the city.
August 2022 – Unattributed Spill
On August 26, 2022, Global News broadcast Cleanup continues for ‘fuel oil’ spill in Jackson Creek near Little Lake in Peterborough.
The City of Peterborough, Ont., says cleanup continues following a “fuel oil” spill discovered at the south end of Jackson Creek near Little Lake.
According to the city, the spill was identified Wednesday by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks at the south end of Jackson Creek in the area of Townsend and Aylmer streets.
The city notes the contamination is not discharging into Little Lake and water quality in the lake “has been maintained.”
The city says it “immediately” established environmental protection measures to prevent the spill from discharging into Little Lake. The city has also retained an environmental consultant to investigate the source of the contamination as well as an environmental remediation specialist.
“The area hosted many former industries, and the source has not been identified at this time,” the city stated. “Multiple property owners in the area have retained environmental consultants related to known contaminations and are working with the Ministry of the Environment.’
The city notes contamination is being contained at the south end of Jackson Creek with environmental protection measures, and will “continue to be managed through the investigation.”
Global News reached out to the Ministry for additional details on the incident.
In an email, the ministry said on Aug. 24 contaminated groundwater (contaminated with oily hydrocarbons such as spilled fuel) was observed entering Jackson Creek.
The ministry notes the city has retained the services of a clean-up company to contain and remediate impacts to Jackson Creek.
“They have also retained the services of a qualified consultant to assess and take appropriate measures to address the groundwater contamination,” stated Aaron Gordon, senior environmental office.
The ministry continues to monitor the situation to ensure that the City of Peterborough remediate any impacts to the environment.
In late May 2019 the Ministry investigated an oily sheen found flowing into Little Lake from a storm sewer. In March 2018, a broken suppression line from former General Electric Peterborough facility caused a petroleum product to leak into the lake.
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Licence
We are publishing this material under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence.
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- 1GE would attribute a “hydrocarbon sheen event” to a water main break under Building 14. See AECOM, 2024 PCB Monitoring Report for Stormwater and Groundwater, GEPR Peterborough Site, p. 16 ↩︎