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The Diavik diamond mine says a fuel truck that tipped over, causing a large diesel spill, was using a road “not designed” for heavy equipment in winter.
According to a report filed with regulators this week, the December 19 spill involved 1,688 litres of diesel.
The fuel leaked from the truck’s top air vent after it tipped onto its side.
Diavik says excavating the affected land around the spill will take until the end of January. By Monday, the mine said, 616 cubic metres of contaminated material – a volume not far from that of Yellowknife’s Ruth Inch pool – had been removed.
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In its report, the mine said an internal investigation “determined that the road in question was generally only used for seasonal dewatering [and] was not designed with sufficient criteria (berms, sightlines and signage) to be navigated by heavy equipment in winter conditions.”
Diavik said a “site-wide audit of roads and intersections” is under way to stop a similar incident happening again. The mine noted that the way different areas of the site are used is changing as operations gradually wind up and parts of the mine shut down. Commercial mining at Diavik is expected to end in early 2026.
Better spill reporting and response training is being rolled out, Diavik added, and monitoring will take place downstream of the spill.
