West Coast Marine Response, the private company tasked with responding to spills in navigable waters along the B.C. coast, says last week’s spill near Port Mellon involved between 120 and 200 litres of diesel from a fuel tank on equipment stored on a barge that sank Jan. 31.
Michael Lowry of West Coast Marine Response said Monday that containment booms remain in place as a precaution, although much of the cleanup work was completed last Thursday afternoon.
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) said the tank is now empty, and no further upwelling of fuel has been seen. “CCG will continue to take measures to minimize any impact to public safety and the environment,” the agency said in an email to Coast Reporter.
The Coast Guard also said the owner of the barge, a pontoon structure with a platform holding a fuel tank and a diesel engine-powered deck crane, is known and the CCG is working with the owner on a recovery plan.
“The Coast Guard coordinated the response with Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, the province of B.C., the Squamish Nation, and other partners to ensure an effective and timely response,” the statement also said.
An update circulated by Islands Trust Gambier trustee Kate-Louise Stamford said the spill was first reported around 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, and the Coast Guard was on scene with a hovercraft around 9 a.m. and the Western Canada Marine Response units were there by noon.
Opponents of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion were quick to point to the incident as proof of the dangers of increased tanker traffic.
In a joint statement with several environmental organizations, the Squamish Nation called the incident “proof of the danger of increased tanker traffic that could result from the Kinder Morgan pipeline.”
“When spills happen, they can devastate our coastline. Oil spills directly impact our economy, culture, and community who have lived off our homelands for thousands of years. The risk of spills is always present in our minds, and our communities feel the consequences,” said Squamish Nation councillor Dustin Rivers.
William George, member of Tsleil-Waututh Nation, said: “Just this month we saw orcas around the Sunshine Coast. The Kinder Morgan tanker increase puts Indigenous culture, ceremony and food at too great a risk.”
The head of the oil campaign at Greenpeace Canada is also quoted in the release.
“[The] oil spill foreshadows what’s to come if Kinder Morgan is allowed to bring 400 tankers to the coast each year. The accident is a stark and gut-wrenching reminder of why we need more protection for critical species such as salmon and herring and more scientific study of spill response readiness on the coast,” said Jessica Wilson.
