A relatively small fuel spill on the Fraser River Tuesday morning was nevertheless another big wake up call for how there must be better communication between those involved in environmental cleanups, said Coun. Carol Day.
“I’m not happy. I don’t think we’re necessarily being informed fully. If we drop the ball I want to know why we dropped the ball,” said Day.
A 26-metre vessel boat capsized and unloaded fuel into the river shortly before 8 a.m. at the Shelter Island Marina on Graybar Road in east Richmond.
Marina management said it would not comment on the incident.
Day said when she spoke to boaters in the area who told her it took too long for Port Metro Vancouver and Canadian Coast Guard officials to take action by placing booms around the boat.
“Officials say, ‘oh well it will just evaporate.’ That’s not a plan. It’s unhealthy for people, it’s unhealthy for animals,” said Day, noting a nearby derelict ship from last year still remains in its place.
“Everyone’s passing the buck,” said Day.
A spokesperson for the port said its primary role is assessment. As such, a patrol boat was sent to the area to assist the coast guard, which is primarily responsible for oil spill cleanups.
The spill prompted City of Richmond officials to close downstream irrigation pumps on the river’s south arm.
City spokesperson Ted Townsend said city staff monitored the fuel sheen downstream, at Finn Slough, and based on their observations the city requested a shoreline assessment.
Townsend said the Ministry of Environment told the city a full assessment was not warranted.
The ministry told the city “there was no evidence of distress among shorebirds” and “there were very small amounts of fuel appearing on the shoreline,” according to Townsend.
Day said city staff told the safety committee on Tuesday afternoon that there was good communication between agencies.
“That’s not what I heard. I heard the exact opposite (from local boaters),” said Day.
Last month city council directed staff to investigate what response measures and protocols are in place for a significant oil spill, in the wake of the recent Burrard Inlet spill, last month.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie and the City of Richmond released a statement Wednesday voicing the city's concerns:
“It reinforces that fact that we just don’t have enough information to know what would happen if we have a larger spill on the river, how well authorities will be able to respond to and contain a spill, or the long term impacts on the eco-system,” said Brodie.
Brodie was alluding to jet fuel being spilled from a planned jet fuel offloading facility at Riverport.
The City of Richmond stated it "believes the BC Environmental Assessment Office process, which reviewed the jet fuel project, was seriously flawed as it failed to properly assess the ability to respond to a significant fuel spill along the river and its potential impact. The process also had other failings, included only examining one option for the project and insufficient consultation with the community."
Local environmentalist and fish biologist Otto Langer, who took the province to court because of the alleged insufficient consultation, noted in an email to the Richmond News that it is a fallacy to think one can prevent or contain fuel spills, especially on the fast moving river.
“There is no way in any government, in any industry or in (scientific) engineering to address an effective clean-up once the oil is in the water,” said Langer.
‘Why do we not accept that?” he questioned.
No one was aboard the ship and there are no reports of injuries after the vessel, Western Crusader, overturned.
Department of Fisheries and Oceans spokeswoman Michelle Imbeau said the vessel was towed from Campbell River on Monday.
She said a boom was set up around the vessel to prevent more fuel from spreading in the water.
The coast guard “continues to monitor the situation to ensure that all the appropriate measures are taken,” she said, in a statement on Tuesday.
A hovercraft was sent after the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria received a distress call, and it was determined en route that no lives were at risk, according to the centre.
Owners of the Western Crusader have arranged for a crane to salvage the vessel.
It’s unknown why the vessel capsized.
