200,000 litres of oil from pipeline spills near Stoughton, Sask.

About 200,000 litres of oil spilled nearStoughton, Sask., last week, the biggest pipeline breach in the province since the Husky Oil spilllast summer.

It happenedon First Nations land near Stoughton, about140 kilometres southeast of Regina.The spill covered an approximately20-metre radius.

The provincial government was notified ofthe spill on Friday evening"as soon as the leak was detected," a spokesperson from the Premier's officesaid. Reporters were toldMonday afternoon.

The pipeline was shut down when the breach was discovered, and the spill is fully contained,thespokespersonsaid. The source of the leak is not yet known.

The oil covered agricultural land but did not enter any water sources, the governmentsaid. The site was described as a low-lying area with a frozen slough.

The spill has not affected air quality or wildlife asof yet, the government said.

The cleanup, led by Calgary-based Tundra Energy Marketing Inc.,began on Saturday. As of Monday, 170,000 litres of oil had been recovered, the governmentsaid.

DougMacKnight, assistant deputy minister withtheMinistry of the Economy's petroleum and natural gas division, saidthere are multiple pipelines in the area of the leak. Until the siteis excavated Wednesday, it will not be known which one is responsible. However,the Tundra-operated pipeline is thought to be the source.

Reclamation work

Chief Connie Big Eagle of the Ocean Man First Nation visited the site lastweekend.Representatives from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada have taken the federal lead in the response.

"The first phase of getting the oil out of there should happen fairly quickly, but how long it'll take to bring it back, that's some reclamation work that's going to have to get done," MacKnight said.

Typically the company operating the pipeline is required to remediate and restorethe land back to its original state, MacKnight said. Any compensation would have to be discussed between the federal government, the company operating the pipeline and the band.

The spill comes seven months after a 225,000-litre Husky oil spill, in which some enteredthe North Saskatchewan River.

It is unclear if there has been aninspection done on the pipeline in recent months, MacKnight said. If there had been any inspection, the responsibility would be company's, he added.