Fuel spill off Great Bear Rainforest offers few answers one year later: nation
VICTORIA — A rich marine harvest ground for a First Nation near British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest remains closed to shell fishing one year after a tug ran aground, spilling more than 100,000 litres of fuel into Seaforth Channel.
Chief Marilyn Slett of the Heiltsuk First Nation in the small community of Bella Bella said Thursday that the sinking on Oct. 13 last year of the 30-metre tug Nathan E. Stewart has had devastating social, cultural and economic impacts on her people.
She said her First Nation wants answers about the long-term effects of the fuel spill but are getting little assistance from the B.C. and federal governments and the tug boat company, Texas-based Kirby Corp.
Slett said when the tug was pulled from the water about a month after it sank and the fuel spill was contained, government environment officials and company salvage crews left.