A Yukon bulk fuel delivery company has pled guilty to several regulatory offences following a tanker rollover that affected the Alaska and North Klondike highways last June.

Pacesetter Petroleum pled guilty Tuesday afternoon to four contraventions of regulations under the National Safety Code, Motor Vehicle Act and Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.

The company received fines totalling $1,265, including victim surcharge fees.

Pacesetter was charged after one of its freightliner tankers carrying 16,800 litres of jet fuel rolled over at the intersection of the Alaska and North Klondike Highways on June 22.

According to an agreed statement of facts filed in territorial court, the tanker was headed toward Mayo when the brakes locked.

The vehicle rolled over on its left side as the driver attempted to negotiate the corner.

A total of 3,403 litres of fuel were spilled, and the driver sustained minor injuries.

Highways closed

The accident also saw the closure of the highways at the intersection throughout much of the day, preventing any traffic flow.

Scores of tourists’ vehicles were stranded for hours, lined up along both highways waiting to pass the accident site, and some people couldn’t get to their places of employment that day.

A post-crash inspection of the tanker found that the brakes on the left side of both axles showed signs of rust and did not meet the standards and specifications for maintenance under the National Safety Code.

Court documents did not detail whether this caused the accident.

The driver also did not have a daily hours of service log book for the past 14 days nor log any inspections of the commercial vehicle as required.

As well, he did not have the requisite training certificate for the transport of dangerous goods.

On Tuesday, lawyer Meagan Hannam entered guilty pleas to four charges on behalf of Pacesetter for permitting the driver to operate the vehicle without having a log book nor the training certificate, and when the tanker had not been inspected nor met standards.

An additional charge for failing to fill out a daily hours of service log was stayed.

Kimberly Sova, the lawyer representing the Yukon government, recommended fines totalling $1,100 plus a victim surcharge of $165 for the offences.

Possible $10,800 in fines*

Pacesetter was facing a maximum total of $10,800 in fines for the charges.

Sova noted these were largely administrative offences and that the driver was an “anomaly”, as other Pacesetter drivers were found to be in compliance. She added the company also has no prior offences and pled guilty early on. Deputy Judge Brian Neal issued the recommended fines and Pacesetter paid them forthwith.

A spokesperson from Environment Yukon said the department has not laid charges against the driver nor company for the spill.

He explained environmental charges would only be laid if the cleanup of the spill was not in compliance, and that the company has been co-operative.

A spokesperson for the RCMP also said no criminal charges have been laid but that the matter is still open and under investigation.