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An NWT government inspector says De Beers and Nuna Logistics have completed the turnaround of a winter road camp previously described as being “in disarray.”
Earlier in the summer, inspector Tom Bradbury said the Margaret Lake camp – on the winter road about 40 km from the Gahcho Kué diamond mine, and operated by Nuna on De Beers’ behalf – was littered with signs of spills and other concerns.
The report was sufficiently critical of the companies that De Beers subsequently launched an internal investigation.
In two follow-up reports – one filed in September, the other published last week – Bradbury says there have been big changes.
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“Site conditions have improved dramatically since the June inspection,” the latest report states, and priorities identified in that inspection have been addressed.
“Next steps must shift from cleanup to prevention for Nuna personnel during the upcoming operational season,” Bradbury writes.
“The current expected date for winter road commencement is the first week of February, and with it will come more frequent inspections for the Margaret Lake camp.
“The response to the June inspection and the timeframe in which De Beers and Nuna were able to mitigate the non-compliances previously noted went beyond expectations. Site conditions are currently in excellent shape and the inspector expects conditions to remain that way through the upcoming operating season.”
