Cleanup underway after sunken boat spills fuel into Yellowknife Bay

Cleanup underway after sunken boat spills fuel into Yellowknife Bay

Coast guard says 60 to 80 litres of diesel and engine oil spilled Wednesday

The Canadian Coast Guard says a sunken boat in Yellowknife Bay is responsible for releasing about 60 to 80 litres of diesel and engine oil into the water.

The territorial government's spill reporting website says it happened Wednesday across from the government wharf.

Houseboater Richard McIntosh was in the area on Wednesday morning and recalls a strong odour of diesel and oil.

“It did disperse across the water. You could see it everywhere,” McIntosh said. “Some of it started floating through the causeway a little bit. It smells an awful lot when it's just sitting on the surface of the water.”

He said the response to the spill was swift, with houseboaters, fishers and the coast guard soon working to contain it and secure the sinking boat.

An orange boom was set up to contain the oil, according to the coast guard.

Even with the quick response, McIntosh decided to spend that night elsewhere because of the smell. When he returned to his boat on Thursday morning, he said “little evidence” of the spill remained.

In an emailed response to CBC News, the coast guard said the owner of the sunken boat will be on the hook for the costs of any cleanup, repairs and any actions the coast guard had to take in response to the spill, under Canada's "polluter pays" principle.

The coast guard said the boat owner was cooperating with them and already has plans to get the sunken vessel afloat again.

Tamara Merritt is a reporter with CBC North in Yellowknife. She has previously worked in Toronto and Ottawa. You can reach her at tamara.merritt@cbc.ca.