Oil residue has been reported or otherwise identified at multiple locations around the Nanaimo Harbour, stemming from a spill in late July (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

spill response

Response teams have ‘several areas for clean-up’ after fuel spill in Nanaimo harbour

Aug 1, 2023 | 9:31 AM

NANAIMO — Clean-up crews are still handling after-effects from a heavy fuel spill along the city’s waterfront.

On Wednesday, July 26, the Maipo River cargo ship spilled an unknown amount of heavy marine fuel during an internal transfer, creating a sizeable mess around the Nanaimo cruise ship terminal where the boat was docked at the time.

Eight vessels and nearly 30 crew members from West Coast Marine Response Corporation and Canadian Coast Guard, in addition to Nanaimo Port Authority, responded to contain the mess however despite the quick action fuel still managed to leach into the surrounding area.

A report to NanaimoNewsNOW from a crew member on board a BC Ferries vessel running between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island said their tie lines were oil-coated, and a site visit to the affected area on Monday, July 31 showed oil residue on rocks and seaweed near 1 Port Dr.

Michael Lowry, communications manager with the West Coast Marine Response Corporation, provided a written statement on behalf of the command group set up to handle the situation.

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The group contains members from WCMRC, Coast Guard, Nanaimo Port Authority and Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Lowry said shoreline clean-up teams, led by the provincial ministry of environment, have been surveying the area since the incident.

“[The teams] identified several areas for clean-up. These include: BC Ferries Wharf, the rail pier, the pier at Cameron Island and a number of vessels. Shoreline Treatment Recommendations (STRs) have been developed and approved through the Environmental Unit for hard structures and rip rap.”

A map of some of the affected areas where fuel has been either identified by response teams, or reported to them by others. (Google Earth)

Lowry added booms deployed around the ship were collected and disposed of over the weekend and work continues to remediate the surrounding area.

“Operations have continued to recover remaining free-floating product from within containment. Decontamination of oiled vessels, infrastructure and containment boom will continue over the next week, along with completion of on-water recovery operations.”

According to Lowry, clean-up operations have been contained to the immediate area around the ship at this time.

Costs stemming from the operation will be charged to the parent company of the Maipo River as a result of Canada’s ‘polluter pay’ model.

The Maipo River remains in Nanaimo and had travelled up the west coast from Portland in the days prior to the incident.

Boats from multiple agencies actioned last week to prevent an oil spill from spreading after a docked cargo ship leaked fuel during an internal transfer.

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