Coast Guard dishes out Arctic oil spill kits

The Coast Guard has finished the distribution of oil spill cleanup kits to 19 Arctic communities at a cost of $2.26 million, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced in a press release last week.

Called “Arctic community packs,” each kit contains surface booms, shoreline cleanup equipment, small boats and outboard motors, and in some communities, beach flushing equipment.

The Coast Guard delivered the packs this past summer and fall, using 55 sealift-sized shipping containers.

Now that the cleanup packs have been delivered, the Coast Guard will now focus on training people to use the equipment, including the training of community residents.

Communities receiving the equipment include Tuktoyaktuk, Iqaluit, Resolute Bay and Churchill.