Government clarifies fuel spill incident at O'Brien's Farms

Ralph Wiseman, Minister of Environment, today clarified the details of a domestic fuel spill which occurred recently at O'Brien's Farm in St. John's. 

"Government became aware that a domestic fuel spill had occurred in the area of O'Brien's Farms on March 1, and since then, officials have been working with the property owners to determine an appropriate course of action for the clean-up," explained Minister Wiseman. 

"Government does have a process in place for dealing with domestic fuel spills, and that process was followed for this incident," said the minister. "All fuel spills must be reported to the Department of Government Services and Lands, at which time an inspector is sent to evaluate the extent of the spill. The Department of Environment is kept fully informed of the situation, and then both departments work together to monitor the situation to ensure that a clean-up occurs in a timely and safe manner. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the environmental impact of any oil spill is minimized, and the departments of Environment and Government Services and Lands work together to achieve this goal."

Minister Wiseman also reminded all homeowners that they are ultimately responsible for the maintenance of domestic oil tanks, and for the clean-up of any spills which occur on their property. "A number of fuel spills from domestic fuel tanks occur throughout the province each year, and I want all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to be fully aware of their responsibilities in these situations," he said. "I would advise all homeowners to check the integrity of their domestic fuel tanks to ensure that they are in proper working order and to review their homeowners' insurance policy to determine the type of insurance coverage they have for domestic fuel spills." 
Media contact: Diane Keough, Communications, (709) 729-2575.

2001 03 05                                                3:20 p.m.