Posted on 09/17/2026 5:03:45 PM PDT by jerod
City says it's developing a long-term environmental monitoring plan
With the fire at Summerside's Sunbank solar farm burning for nearly two weeks, both the city and the province are continuing to monitor conditions at the site.
Summerside and the P.E.I. government said in a joint news release that the situation is stable, with air-quality being monitored and reviewed by public health officials. The province's Chief Public Health Office recommends air-quality testing continue at the site.
Testing indicates there is no evidence of health risks to residents, while Summerside's drinking water is safe for consumption, according to the release.
"I have reviewed the air-quality monitoring results from last week and have continued to monitor the information as it becomes available," Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer, said in the release.
"Based on the results to date, residents of Summerside should feel confident in the quality of both the air and drinking water and can continue their normal day-to-day activities."
The Summerside Fire Department continues to monitor the scene, and the release notes that battery fires can burn for longer than traditional structure fires.
"The health and safety of our residents remains our top priority," Deputy Mayor Cory Snow said in the release.
"The city will continue to work closely with provincial partners and technical experts as we assess results and plan for ongoing monitoring."
The release states that the city is developing a "longer-term environmental monitoring plan" for the area surrounding the site, which will include ongoing air, water and soil sampling. Those samples will be reviewed by provincial environmental and public health officials, with an aim to identify and monitor potential affects.
It's still recommended that anyone sensitive to smoke or who have respiratory conditions should limit outdoor activities if they experience irritation or symptoms.
Residents with outdoor gardens are warned of possible "deposition of particles" on the surface of fruits and vegetables. The release recommends thorough washing before eating, along with removing outer layers of produce that can't be easily washed, such as lettuce or cabbage.
City officials believe the fire started around 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 7 in a battery at the Sunbank.
It brought about a shelter in place order and voluntary evacuation notice for nearby residents because of possible toxic smoke.
It also resulted in a delay to the start of the school year, with in the Three Oaks family of schools and French-language École-sur-Mer cancelled, as well as the closure of multiple businesses and Credit Union Place.
On Sept. 10, Morrison recommended schools welcome back students, stating that smoke from the fire and its toxic chemicals quickly dissipate outdoors. Schools in the area reopened the following day.
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I’m going to have to read the article. Just to see what’s flammable at a solar farm.
Lithium.
PEI is an island. It is shear madness to waste valuable land on a solar farm. Canada is not short of oil and the largest refinery in the country is in Saint John in New Brunswick, the province next door. Canada is too liberal for its own good.
And to think Scotty used Lithium to power the Enterprise. Had he known....
Probably the “...20 MWH hour battery...” they added to the solar/wind farm:
Dilution is the solution to pollution.
Polluting Potato Land
Oy vey, it's "dilithium".
When you search for images, you have to scroll down a ways to find one showing the smoke in a big way. That is on TIK TOK.
All of the major "news" outlets used careful camera angles to show little or no smoke.
Did you notice how the look of dilithium changed over the years ? LOL
what is dilithium made of? That’s what I thought
PEI is far enough North (about the latitude of Maine) that Solar isn't that efficient, and storms in that part of the world hinder capacity factor as well.
battery fire
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