A company in Hay River, NT was hit with a $150,000 fine for a fuel spill that threatened the town’s namesake river.
Hay River Mobile Home Park Ltd. pleaded guilty to violating a section of the Fisheries Act, specifically the part which prohibits depositing harmful substances in or around fish habitat. The property holding company is a subsidiary of the Rowes Group of Companies.
CBC News reported that another subsidiary, Rowes Construction, was also charged, but this was withdrawn.
According to prosecutor Morgan Fane, the circumstances which led to the spill were laid out in a statement of facts. The spill occurred three years ago, and it was the result of a malfunction in an old fuel truck stored on property owned by the Hay River Mobile Home Park.
The truck remained idle through years of freezing and thawing, until a filter used to separate the truck’s water from fuel cracked. The vehicle’s remaining fuel subsequently drained out and flowed on to the banks of the Hay River. During sentencing, pictures of the sheen the spill left on the river were presented as evidence.
An expert brought in by Rowes projected that between 3.3 liters and 79.1 liters of fuel seeped into the river.
In addition to the $150,000 fine, Hay River Mobile Home Park is required to report the facts of the conviction to the K'atl'odeeche First Nation of Hay River.
