The Canadian Coast Guard is standing down response efforts “at this time” to the incident involving BC Ferries’ Queen of New Westminster vessel, which discharged 800 litres of hydraulic oil into the water on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
According to the coast guard, the situation “remains stable” and there have been no reports of oil or any impacted wildlife.
The oil discharge took place in the vicinity of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, caused by the 60-year-old vessel’s starboard propeller falling from its propulsion shaft.
“This oil disperses quickly in the marine environment and visual inspections by other vessels in the area have not detected any remaining oil sheen on the water,” said Ritinder Matthew, BC Ferries’ director of media and issues.
The vessel was pulled from service on Sept. 3, causing multiple sailing cancellations on the busy Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route. The cancellations also rolled into Sept. 4, causing inconvenience for travellers.
Once notified about the leak, the coast guard crews were immediately deployed to assess the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and surrounding areas with remote piloted aircraft systems and by helicopter.
“Some non-recoverable sheen was observed around the terminal,’ said Kiri Westnedge, communications advisor for the Canadian Coast Guard. “The Canadian Coast Guard notified First Nations and stakeholders, and was prepared to deploy pollution counter measure equipment to protect sensitive areas.”
A flight over the area between the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and Swartz Bay ferry terminal was also conducted on Sept. 4.
“No visible pollution was observed during this flight,” said Westnedge.
As a result of the mechanical failure, BC Ferries has cancelled all Queen of New Westminster’s sailings up to and including September 30th.
A dive in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 6., located the vessel’s propeller on the seabed. BC Ferries said it is planning for its recovery.
“We are also working to source suitable spares and have secured a dry dock for later this month. However, depending on parts availability, the vessel could remain out of service for an extended period.”
BC Ferries said they are doing everything they can to minimize disruptions, including offering additional sailings on the Coastal Celebration and Coastal Renaissance vessels where possible.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disruption this service outage has caused, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers as we work through these repairs. We will continue to keep you and the public updated with any new developments,” said Matthew.
The coast guard has asked any members of the public who observe marine pollution, to contact them at: 1-800-889-8852.
