Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As soon as the spill was noticed on August 26, 1992, at 5:45, the first report that came out was from our office at 8:05 that night. At 8:15 the spill line notified Bob Loutitt, who is the Canadian Coastguard, the lead agency in responding to spills in water from ships. At 8:15, at the same time, N.T.C.L. reported this is on August 26 to spill line that they were transferring fuel and moving the barge to a safer area. At 8:20 the spill line notified the Canadian Coastguard with a second report of that day. At 9:00 the Renewable Resources officer and the R.C.M.P. officer, as I indicated earlier, went down to the site by boat when the N.T.C.L. was transferring fuel from the punctured tank.
The following day, at 8:30 in the morning, the pollution control division, which is my Department, distributed the three reports received from G.N.W.T. agencies and communities, these are Fort Smith region, emergency measures organization, Fort Smith Renewable Resource Superintendent, Municipal and Community Affairs lands division, Department of Transportation, and Hamlet of Fort Providence.
At 9:23, on August 27, Fort Providence Renewable Resource Officer took a tour, by helicopter, the boom had been put in place around the barge and evidence of sheen was found about 25-30 miles downstream. Islands near spill site showed the presence of oil at the water line.
At 10:30, Mr. Speaker, the Fort Providence Renewable Resource Officer returns from the helicopter site tour, then at 11:18 the Fort Providence Renewable Resource Officer faxed results of helicopter river inspection to the Pollution Control Division of my department. At 11:40, the Government of the Northwest Territories emergency measures organization contacted Pollution Control Division of my department for information to provide to the Executive regarding a press release.
At 11:47, the spill update from the Fort Providence Renewable Resource Officer was distributed by the Pollution Control Division to spill line signatories and G.N.W.T. contacts. At 11:59 requested information was faxed to emergency measures organization. At 12:15, a meeting was called by the Acting Government Leader, Honourable John Pollard, to discuss the spill events and the events that took place after that. Thank you.