'Hard to comprehend': Inspector flags widespread fuel staining, spills near Gahcho Kué Mine

Nadeer Hashmi · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 7:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A caller inspection of the Margaret Lake campy near Gahcho Kué Mine recovered the tract "in disarray," according to an N.W.T. assets officer.

In an inspection study from June 19, an serviceman with the section of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) recovered the camp had important hydrocarbon staining — meaning, petroleum oregon earthy state marks — connected roadsides, unfastened areas and astir buildings, and that garbage had piled up astir the site. 

"It was evident portion connected attack to the tract via chopper that the information of the tract was successful disarray!" inspector Tom Bradbury wrote successful the report. "It was hard to comprehend the sheer magnitude of hydrocarbon staining and spillage observed passim the tract without having completed the inspection!"

De Beers Group operates the mine, and 1 of their contractors, Nuna Logistics, manages the Margaret Lake camp. It's astir 40 kilometres northwest of Gahcho Kué mine, and Nuna Logistics uses it to physique and support the wintertime roadworthy that connects the excavation to the Tibbitt to Contwoyto wintertime road.

Bradbury wrote that site unit are not doing capable to forestall oregon cleanable up spills oregon to region scrap materials. He pointed to extended spillage adjacent the spur road, which helium said had a beardown odour. 

He said determination seemed to beryllium a deficiency of attraction and enactment successful preventing and cleaning up leaks.

He added determination was a batch of scrap worldly and miscellaneous discarded piles that should person been removed during the wintertime roadworthy season. 

He has directed De Beers and Nuna to taxable regular reports with photos and information implicit the summer. If the companies don't instrumentality due steps, they could look fines of up to $100,000.

Bradbury said a follow-up inspection would beryllium conducted astatine the tract astatine the extremity of the summer.

In an email to CBC, ECC wrote that a thorough cleanup should code astir of the staining and discarded piles, but amended substance handling is needed going forward.

Internal investigation 

A De Beers spokesperson said successful an email they instrumentality this substance seriously, and that "the extortion of the onshore and h2o wherever we run is of the utmost importance." 

De Beers wrote they person initiated an interior probe and instructed Nuna Logistics to code the situation.

Jarda Slavik, Nuna's president and main operating officer, said the tract information does not bespeak their precocious biology standards.

"We volition beryllium processing a program to actively remediate the contaminated areas … and volition instrumentality contiguous corrective action," Slavik wrote successful an email.

Concern from Indigenous governments

Ernest Betsina, main of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, said he's "surprised and disturbed" by the inspection report. 

He said helium thinks some companies should person acted sooner.

Betsina said helium is acrophobic for aboriginal onshore usage arsenic well. He said amended onshore usage practices are expected from mining companies truthful they tin proceed to usage the onshore aft the mines are gone.

"The onshore has to beryllium brought backmost to its archetypal authorities oregon adjacent to its archetypal state," helium said.

Betsina said the First Nation volition besides travel up with De Beers and Nuna to guarantee due cleanup. 

Brett Wheler is the elder advisor with the Tłı̨chǫ Government's section of civilization and lands protection. 

In an email, helium said it is bully to spot the onshore usage inspector's diligence successful documenting these issues and requiring contiguous remedial actions from the company, but helium said the Tłı̨chǫ Government expects the companies to instrumentality steps to support the land.

If the onshore is impacted, helium said the companies should instrumentality urgent enactment to remediate.