GC: n

S: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/spills-environmental-emergencies (last access: 22 July 2016); http://www.itopf.com/knowledge-resources/documents-guides/environmental-effects/ (last access: 22 July 2016).

N: 1. 1845, originally “a throw or fall from a horse,” from spill (v.). Meaning “the spilling of a liquid, amount of spilled stuff” is from 1848.
2. Risks and Threats (Security); Pollution (General): The uncontrolled discharge or emission of a substance into the air, water or soil that can immediately or over time have an adverse effect on the environment and the health of humans and animals.
3. Risks and Threats (Security); Pollution (General): The terms “release” and “spill” are often used interchangeably to refer to discharges. However, these terms have a sequential relationship: a release may lead to a spill, but not vice versa.
4. Risks and Threats (Security); Pollution (General): spill: term and definition standardized by the Canadian Capability-Based Planning Terminology Committee and the Translation Bureau.
5. Pollution (General); Transport of Goods: Any unplanned discharge or release of hazardous waste onto or into the land, air, or water.
Considerations of liability coverage must take account of … incidents arising from accidental spills of waste material, and incidents arising from long-term environmental impairment (such as contamination of groundwater).
Synonyms in these fields: accidental spill, spillage, accidental discharge.

S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=spill (last access: 22 July 2016). 2 to 5. TERMIUM PLUS – http://goo.gl/5VCjeV (last access: 22 July 2016).

SYN:
S:

CR: environment, landfill, residues, waste.