Oil spill clean-up underway at site of long-term care home in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut

A construction company is still working to contain an oil spill that happened last week on the construction site of the newlong-term care centre in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

Two thousand litres of heating fuel leaked from a fuel tank on May 29, due to a supply line that was disconnected on the outside of the building.

Leanne Babstock, a spokesperson for the Government of Nunavut's Department of Environment, said the construction company took immediate action to contain the spill, including blocking culverts, using absorbents on drenched areas, and vacuuming contaminated water.

"If this is not possible to return a site to its original state, a responsible party is required to employ mitigation measures to ensure community members and the environment are not adversely affected," she said in an email.

She said the fuel hasn't entered the ocean, and there are no significant impacts to the shoreline so far.

Tom Garrett, a spokesperson for Sakku Investments Corporation, said his company will be managing the operation of the long-term care home once it's built,buthas no involvement in the construction. The facility is expected to open later this year.

Once the immediate clean-up phase is over, Babstock said the construction company will need to come up with a remediation plan.