HAY RIVER - A tanker truck overturned in Hay River on March 8, spilling thousands of litres of diesel fuel along the side of the Mackenzie Highway.

The accident occurred at about 9:30 a.m., about three kilometres south of downtown Hay River.

According to the RCMP, the driver - the lone occupant of the vehicle - suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

The accident closed the Mackenzie Highway until just after 2 p.m., and traffic was rerouted around the scene on a side road.

Jamie Chambers, the regional environmental protection officer for the South Slave with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), said the Super B tanker - a truck towing two large fuel tanks - was carrying around 48,000 litres of diesel when it fell over onto its side.

"We're looking at a spill of approximately 9,000 litres," Chambers said.

Much of the fuel was quickly recovered from the ground.

"There'll still be some contamination in the soil there," Chambers said, adding he could only guess how much remains to be cleaned up.

The truck, owned by Sidhu Trucking Ltd. of Whitehorse, was carrying fuel to a diamond mine under contract with Ventures West Transport.

Chambers said the fuel leaked from a small puncture near the front of the first tank, and from three of four hatches and a couple of vents in the tanks.

Several Hay River businesses - Carter Industries, Hay River Disposals and Bassett Petroleum - responded to the scene when contacted by Ventures West.

Chambers said Bassett Petroleum drilled holes into the side of the tanks and pumped almost 40,000 litres into other trucks.

Hay River Disposals used a vacuum truck to remove 5,700 litres of a diesel/water mix from the ditch.

Carter Industries removed eight dump truck loads of snow contaminated with fuel, along with righting the overturned vehicle and removing it from the scene.

The contaminated soil will then be excavated and taken for treatment, and the hole will be filled with clean soil.

"Right now, it's not going anywhere," Chambers said, noting barriers will be erected if necessary to contain the diesel once the ground thaws.

The spill area covers roughly 50 square metres.

Const. Nancy Bilodeau of the Hay River RCMP said alcohol, drugs, speed and the weather were not factors in the accident.

Bilodeau said no charges will be laid over the incident.