VANCOUVER — A fuel spill has spread over areas of Vancouver's English Bay, coating waters in an oily sheen.
The City of Vancouver said the spill was of bunker fuel and warned on social media that the fuel is toxic. It asked people not to touch it.
An emergency response team was called in Wednesday to deal with the spill in the downtown bay.
John Parker-Jervis of Port Metro Vancouver said the bunker fuel appears to have come from a bulk carrier vessel that carries grain.
He said there was a significant amount of fuel spreading around the boat and it was contained with a boom, although it is not the confirmed source of the spill.
He said the West Coast Marine Response Corporation had five boats on the water recovering fuel oil throughout the night "so there has been some amount of product on the water."
"Early in the evening the sheen was quite light and deemed not recoverable; however, as the evening progressed they did begin to find heavier concentrations," he said.
"I don't know if I would characterize it as a big spill but, you know, a significant operation to ensure cleaning it up."
He said it is not yet known how many litres of fuel has spilled into the ocean.
The coast guard, marine response teams, city officials and Transport Canada are co-ordinating efforts to recover the substance and pinpoint its source.
Parker-Jervis said the focus is now on minimizing environmental impacts and safety.
