Baker Lake, NU, September 14, 2021—Agnico Eagle reports that clean-up operations of the spill which occurred on September 8, 2021, following a transportation incident along the All-Weather Access Road (AWAR), approximately 5km south of the Meadowbank Complex, is completed.

The remediation work of the AWAR as well as the till backfill are completed. The Company has removed contaminated soil following the remediation guidelines established in the Meadowbank Complex’s approved management plans. Soil samples were taken and will be sent for analysis by a third party to confirm that the impacted area is free of hydrocarbons, coolant fluid, oil, and fuel. Water samples have also been taken and will also be sent for analysis by a third party to confirm no product has entered any freshwater system.

The driver and the passenger, both from Baker Lake community, who have been treated for minor injuries at the Meadowbank Complex clinic, tested negative to COVID-19 on September 9th and have since returned safely to Baker Lake.

Even though the investigation is still underway to identify the root cause of the incident, immediate actions are being implemented to improve road safety and reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence, such as

  • Single-lane in effect and addition of single-lane signs on both ends of the road near the site of the incident;
  • Speed limit reduced to 30 km/h for regular traffic near the site of the incident

Further updates will be provided to the regulators once the final findings are available.