Yellowknife (Mar 31/06) - A Saskatchewan-based trucker is facing four charges after his 26-wheel rig flipped over on the Ingraham Trail earlier this month, spilling 14,000 litres of oil.

The fuel seeped into the highway about 30 kilometres north of Yellowknife on March 9 and crews are working to clean the area before the spring runoff carries it into nearby lakes and rivers.

The territorial Department of Transportation - which investigated the accident and laid the charges - is not releasing the name of the driver or the specific allegations.

“It is not our normal practice to divulge that information,” spokesperson Bob Kelly said Monday afternoon.

The transport truck - known as a B-train - was hauling 40,000 litres of oil when it overturned near the Prelude Lake east access, said Ken Hall, an environmental protection manager with the territorial government.

At least one of its two gigantic tanks ruptured, leaking 14,000 litres of fuel onto the highway. Hall described the spill as “one of the larger ones we see.”

The oil seeped into the ground, but Hall said there is no evidence it leeched into a nearby lake.

The rig belonged to L.D. Allen Enterprises, a Saskatchewan-based trucking firm. It was destined for a mine northeast of Yellowknife, Hall said.

Cleanup crews dug ditches along the side of the Ingraham Trail - a popular spot for hunters, cross-country skiers and cabin dwellers - in an effort to contain the spill.

While the oil appears to have been limited to the area around the accident, it could be several months before the area is completely cleaned, Hall said.

In the meantime, there remains a risk that spring runoff could carry the oil into lakes and rivers that surround the highway.

The truck driver is expected to appear in Yellowknife territorial court April 27, Kelly said. Court officials were unable to locate a list of the charges or confirm the court appearance.

The accident is the second in less than a month along the Ingraham Trail. Another 26-wheeler crashed near the Cameron River Bridge. Three-hundred litres of diesel fuel spilled during the mishap.

Kelly said the transport department has spent $5 million improving the narrow and winding Ingraham Trail over the last four years and plans to spend $3 million more by 2008.

“We take safety on our highways very seriously,” he said.

L.D. Allen, the Saskatchewan-based trucking company, did not return a phone message seeking comment. The company - and its insurance provider - will cover the cleanup costs, Hall said.

Meanwhile, government employees continue to monitor the environment and the cleanup.