Agnico Eagle would like to update the community of Baker Lake on the fuel leak that occurred at the Baker Lake Fuel Farm on September 22, 2020. As mentioned in our previous update, there was no environmental impact since the leaked fuel was contained in the containment berm. This berm is specifically designed to retain any potential leakage from the tank.

The pumping of fuel out of the containment berm has been completed. The pumping work to empty Fuel Tank 5 is also completed, and all the fuel that was pumped from the tank was transferred to the vessel at the port. The next step is to continue the investigation and proceed with the appropriate corrective measures. Once the corrective measures are complete and we have confirmation of the tank’s integrity, the fuel that was transferred to the vessel will be pumped back into Fuel Tank 5, and the vessel will then be sent back south.

A no-contact inspection from Crown-Indigenous Relations Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) will occur in the coming days. A specific protocol to ensure that no contact will occur between the CIRNAC employees and Agnico Eagle employees will be implemented to ensure the safety of all.

We will keep the concerned authorities and the community of Baker Lake informed of the results of our investigation. To ensure the safety of all Baker Lake community members, all preventive measures that were developed to prevent a potential spread of COVID-19 will be respected.