Phil Duffy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 14/01) - There were 239 hazardous material spills reported in the NWT last year, almost double the total of 132 in 1999.
All regions except for the Sahtu experienced an increase in spills.
Fifty-two per cent were in the North Slave region. Deh Cho region followed with 22 per cent; Inuvik had per cent Sahtu seven per cent and South Slave six per cent.
The mining and Petroleum sectors were responsible for 60 per cent of the spills.
Fuel oil, which includes diesel, accounted for 39 per cent of the overall spills. Leaks from storage tanks, pipes, and tank overflows were the main culprits.
Although the number of spills reported in 2000 increased substantially from the previous year, the quantities spilled were much less.
The largest overall oil spill occured on Feb. 20 on Highway 3 half-way between Yellowknife and Fort Rae. A truck from Robinson Enterprises jacknifed and spilled about half of its 43,000 litre load.
