Saskatchewan

Cleanup still underway at Husky oil spill site in Sask.

About 126 cubic metres of oil spilled from the Husky pipeline has been recovered, according to provincial officials.

It has yet to be determined if there is oil on the bottom of the North Saskatchewan River, officals say

Contaminated water has travelled more than 500 kilometres down the North Saskatchewan River. (Matthew Garand/CBC)

About 126 cubic metres of oil spilled from the Husky pipeline has been recovered, according to Saskatchewan government officials. 

The one kilometre that was most affected by the spill has now been cleaned, said Wes Kotyk, executive director of the Ministry of Environment's Environmental Protection Branch. 

During the daily conference call, he added that crews are 'well on their way' with preliminary clean-up and soil analysis.

An assessment to determine if there is oil on the bottom of the river is continuing. In addition, a silt curtain has been put in place to prevent further soil erosion. 

Officials said they are analyzing 650 out of 1000 samples taken from the North Saskatchewan river and the surrounding area.

The preliminary cleanup assessment will focus on 38 kilometres of shore line, with a close look at 22 kilometres of that 38.

The impacts of the spill lessen as they move down the river, Kotyk said.

with files from Dan Zakreski