Whitehorse-based company to pay $80,000 penalty after it acknowledged responsibility for diesel spill near the Porcupine River in Old Crow Français
WHITEHORSE, YT, March 10, 2017 The effective and strict enforcement of Canadian environmental- and wildlife-protection laws is one way Environment and Climate Change Canada is maintaining clean air and water and protecting our wildlife and their habitats.
On February 23, 2017, Air North Charter and Training Ltd. (Air North) and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada entered into an alternative measures agreement, after a charge was laid by Environment and Climate Change Canada, under the Fisheries Act.
Following an investigation by Environment and Climate Change Canada's enforcement officers, Air North was charged with a violation of the Fisheries Act related to the deposit of a substance harmful to fish, in an area where it could have entered fish-bearing waters. The spill took place on September 23, 2014.
As part of the agreement, Air North will
- Pay a total penalty of $80,000, which will be used to remediate or improve the environment in the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation's territory, with the balance donated to the Environmental Damages Fund, for environmental restoration, improvement, or education in the Yukon
- Publicly acknowledge and accept full responsibility for the fuel spill
- Improve their training, practices, and procedures for fuel delivery, including spill responses, to meet the industry standard, at a minimum
- Carry out clean up and remediation of the spill site and confirm that it has been completed to the satisfaction of Environment Yukon
Quick facts
- An alternative measures agreement is an alternative to prosecution under the Criminal Code. Its purpose is promoting a sense of responsibility in the offender and an acknowledgment of the harm done, while at the same time meeting the important objectives of public safety, deterrence, denunciation, rehabilitation, and reparation to victims and the community, after an accused person has been charged.
- The Environmental Damages Fund is administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada to provide a mechanism for directing funds received as a result of fines, court orders, and voluntary payments to projects that will benefit our natural environment.
Associated links
Fisheries Act
Environmental Damages Fund
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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada
Contacts: Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll free)
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