Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Nov 03/00) - If diesel seeped from one or more of the large tanks at the Cat Camp or Grainger, it is not clear who would be liable for clean-up and damages.
DIAND director of operations, Floyd Adlem says the fuel caches are Canadian Zinc Corporation's responsibility.
"That would be our position ... Obviously, the fuel cache was put in to support the mine. The mine's been bought by Canadian Zinc," he said, adding the courts may have to decide liability if severe environmental damage were to occur.
"We were really hoping that they (Canadian Zinc) would be able to get in there early and clean that up. That doesn't appear to be the case now."
Canadian Zinc's application to clean up the Cat Camp fuel cache was referred to an environmental assessment by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board a few weeks ago.
The Deh Cho First Nations, Nahanni Butte First Nation, Parks Canada and CPAWS expressed concerns about the proposal, which includes plans to drill six exploratory holes outside the mine area and re-establish a 40-kilometre access road.
The Hunt Brothers had originally established the fuel caches in 1980 when Prairie Creek was known as the Cadillac mine.
The project went bankrupt.
In 1991, San Andreas Resources Corporation purchased the assets, which, according to Swallow, had been held in receivership for nine years.
Through a name change in 1999, San Andreas became known as Canadian Zinc Corporation.
Swallow said the tanks and "whatever else is out there" would presumably belong to his company.
"Now, do we own the diesel in it? Good question," he said.
He said he doesn't want to argue liability.
"I'm not a lawyer. I'm not going to get in the middle of that one," he said.
"I applied on the 28th of July to go and pick this stuff up and it would have been gone by now ... I'm prepared to go and clean it up if I'm allowed to -- right now I'm not being allowed to."
