Close X
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
ADVT 
National

'Human error' caused spill of up to 8,000 litres of fuel off B.C.'s coast: government

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Dec, 2024 06:19 PM
  • 'Human error' caused spill of up to 8,000 litres of fuel off B.C.'s coast: government

Human error during a fuel transfer at a fish farm off the west coast of British Columbia has resulted in a spill into the water of up to 8,000 litres of diesel. 

The B.C. government said in a report on its website that the spill happened Saturday at the Grieg Seafood fish farm near Zeballos, on the northwest side of Vancouver Island. 

The report said the company has placed an absorbent boom around the spill site, but natural resources consultants say they haven't been able to find any recoverable diesel on the water. 

It said a visible sheen has been seen north and west of the spill site and the Canadian Coast Guard has sent out an advisory to other mariners to avoid the area of the spill. 

The government said it is co-ordinating the clean up with Grieg Seafood, the group Strategic Natural Resources Consultants, leaders in the villages of Zeballos and Tahsis, and the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations. 

It said the Ehattesaht First Nation has issued a clam harvesting alert and closure in the Zeballos Inlet. 

The nation's chief, Simon John, said in a statement on Monday that the whole event left him sad as he watches fuel sloshing around their territory and washing up on the beaches where they harvest their food. 

"It is clam season and our people should be out there digging on these low winter tides. We have done this forever and this year we have to close some beaches," said John. 

He said there are about 40 people in the community and on the water tasked with cleaning up, including nation members, people from the company, the province, the coast guard and the Department of Fisheries. 

He said the Ehattesaht First Nation will be looking for additional monitoring support over the next few days and it will launch a testing protocol to understand where the fuel is and whether the spill can be cleaned. 

"We always know there are risks when there are activities but we must do better to prevent this type of accident," said John. 

Grieg Seafood, which runs 22 farms off Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, said in a written statement that there was a diesel spill from one of its sites in Esperanza Inlet. 

The Norway-based company said it's now working with the First Nations, coast guard and others to minimize damage. 

“It was a human error, and we are looking into our routines, and how we transfer fuel in the future to make sure this does not happen again. We apologize for the disruption this has caused,” said the statement. 

Living Oceans Society, a B.C.-based environmental group focusing on marine conservation, said in a post online Monday that Esperanza Inlet connects to at least a dozen spawning streams, and fishing charters are a “staple source of income” for nearby communities.

The group's executive director, Karen Wristen, said she is concerned that the spill will have “far-reaching impacts” throughout the Inlet. 

Wristen said the bad weather mixed with high tides over the weekend made the spill disperse "all over the place" and left the oil floating on the top of the water. 

 “So, that means that all shellfish harvesting is potentially at risk,” said Wristen, “And you know that would be long-term contamination.”

She said although diesel fuel evaporates fairly rapidly, it still leaves behind a residue of heavier substances that can contaminate the shellfish by making them "unsafe" and "quite unpalatable" to eat.

Wristen said there are sea otters, Olympic oysters and marbled murrelets living in that area and she had noticed warnings sent from the Ehattesaht First Nation over the weekend, asking people to keep a lookout for endangered species that might be affected by the spill.

“I think this merits close investigation by the authorities. 

"I would suggest that someone failed to follow company protocol for supervising a fuel transfer, and must have failed to supervise it for an extended period of time, because it would take a long time for that much fuel oil to be dumped into the harbour, into the inlet,” said Wristen. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Former PM Stephen Harper appointed to oversee Alberta's $160B AIMCo fund manager

Former PM Stephen Harper appointed to oversee Alberta's $160B AIMCo fund manager
Former prime minister Stephen Harper is the new chairman of the Alberta Investment Management Corp., which oversees more than $160 billion in funds, including pension funds and the Heritage Savings Trust Fund. The move comes almost two weeks after the province's finance minister fired the Crown agency's entire board, along with a number of executives, citing ballooning costs and substandard returns.

Former PM Stephen Harper appointed to oversee Alberta's $160B AIMCo fund manager

Eby's NDP cabinet 'bloated, expensive,' says B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad

Eby's NDP cabinet 'bloated, expensive,' says B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad
British Columbia Conservative Leader John Rustad says Premier David Eby's new cabinet appears to be a taxpayer-funded loyalty program that rewards NDP caucus. Eby introduced his new cabinet this week, which includes 23 ministers, four ministers of state and 14 parliamentary secretaries. 

Eby's NDP cabinet 'bloated, expensive,' says B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad

Investigation led to huge drug bust, which will disrupt Surrey drug trade, says RCMP

Investigation led to huge drug bust, which will disrupt Surrey drug trade, says RCMP
Mounties in Surrey say a year-long investigation has led to one of the largest drug seizures in the detachment's history and will "disrupt" the drug trade in the city. RCMP say they launched an investigation in June 2023 into a criminal group alleged to be involved in trafficking "high-potency" drugs and illicit firearms in the Lower Mainland. 

Investigation led to huge drug bust, which will disrupt Surrey drug trade, says RCMP

B.C. government delegation jets to California to promote the province's film industry

B.C. government delegation jets to California to promote the province's film industry
Spencer Chandra Herbert, minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, says in a statement that they want to bring the "biggest productions" to the province, allowing talent in B.C. to continue with work that comes "with a good pay cheque."

B.C. government delegation jets to California to promote the province's film industry

Emergency alert test comes as B.C. mops up from 'bomb cyclone' with high winds

Emergency alert test comes as B.C. mops up from 'bomb cyclone' with high winds
A test for Canada's emergency alert system took place Wednesday just as British Columbia was cleaning up from a so-called "bomb cyclone" weather system that cut power and battered parts of the coast with hurricane-force winds. The national alert system is typically tested twice a year, with the latest alarm sounding in B.C. at 1:55 p.m. Pacific time, in addition to other provinces.

Emergency alert test comes as B.C. mops up from 'bomb cyclone' with high winds

All premiers aligned on push for Canada to have bilateral trade deal with U.S.: Ford

All premiers aligned on push for Canada to have bilateral trade deal with U.S.: Ford
All 13 provincial and territorial premiers are aligned on a push for the federal government to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday. Ford, who is the current chair of the Council of the Federation, the group of Canada's 13 premiers, said they had a call and there is a clear consensus that the country needs separate agreements with the U.S. and Mexico.

All premiers aligned on push for Canada to have bilateral trade deal with U.S.: Ford