ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A cabin found floating in the still-flooding Muskrat Falls reservoir was retrieved and destroyed by Nalcor Energy workers on Monday.
While it's unclear precisely what the cabin was used for, it ended up in the water, pushed against a debris boom placed by Nalcor as the Muskrat Falls reservoir is fully flooded.
Nalcor spokesperson Karen O'Neill says the structure was likely built on Crown land and not removed prior to the reservoir being flooded.
"Nalcor is aware that some remote structures that were built on Crown land without title were not removed by the owner prior to impoundment," wrote O'Neill.
"(On Monday), one of these structures was caught by the debris boom located upstream of the Muskrat Falls facility and was subsequently removed from the river. Should other structures appear in the river and float towards the facility, the debris boom is in place to catch the structure."
O'Neill says during the environmental assessment process in 2009, surveys were done in the area to identify any cabins that could be in the impoundment area. Some cabins were owned with a proper licence in the area, while others had no legal land title. For those with proper titles, Nalcor made arrangements with the owners for the structures' removal, and notices were left on unlicensed properties in the area.
It's unclear whether Monday's cabin is the only one that will be seen floating in the reservoir, or if more will become dislodged as water levels rise.
The reservoir is expected to be fully flooded by the end of September.
