On February 5, 1970, a mile-long oil slick had formed and was heading for Cape Breton Island, the northern side of the bay. Small aircraft attempted to disperse the oil dropping a chemical dispersant known as COREXIT on the spill, but this failed. The oil spread and washed ashore on many beaches in the bay. In a week's span, the oil had spread to occupy 75 miles of beaches and threatened to spread even further. In the end the oil spill claimed 190 miles of shoreline, and environmental degradation remains apparent decades later. The clean-up took months. The pollution caused by the spill crippled the fishing industry in the bay. Fisherman were catching lobsters and fish completely coated in bunker C. The Fisheries Research Board of Canada performed a series of experiments in May 1970 to evaluate aquatic life in the bay. They imposed rules for the commercial fishing business to abide by for the health of humans consuming their products. In total, the cost to the local government of cleaning the spill and the cost of the environmental impact ran to millions of dollars.
