A fuel truck at Diavik Diamond Mine tipped and spilled almost 1,700 litres of diesel in December.
In a follow-up spill report submitted to the GNWT, Rio Tinto, the company that owns the diamond mine, states that on Dec, 19, a fuel truck rolled onto its side and 1,688 litres of diesel leaked through its top air vent.
"After ensuring the safety of the involved person and stabilizing the tipped vehicle, measures were taken to minimize the volume of spilled diesel by catching it in buckets until the air vent could be sealed," reads the report, filed Jan. 20.
The remainder of the fuel that had not spilled was pumped out of the truck before the vehicle was brought upright and removed from the scene. Rio Tinto says it anticipates that the cleanup will be completed by the end of January.
As of Jan. 20, the mine had cleaned up about 600 cubic meters of the contaminated area SA国际影视传媒� approximately the equivalent of a large shipping container.
"The road in question was generally only used for seasonal de-watering prior to area closure activities," the Rio Tinto report explains, adding that the route was not designed with sufficient criteria, such as having berms and signage for heavy equipment in winter conditions. "A site-wide audit of roads and intersections for design and signage risks is underway to prevent recurrence as area uses continue to change with progressive closure activities."
The mining company also states that it's developing spill reporting and response training for its staff.
Diavik is scheduled to shut down in 2026. By 2029, the mine site is expected to be remediated, should everything go according to plan.
SA国际影视传媒 reached out to Diavik, asking about costs associated with the spill. The mine declined to comment, citing agreements with its suppliers.
