Feature story - October 18, 2007
Greenpeace, Living Oceans Society and concerned whale organizations will launch an underwater investigation of the sunken logging equipment in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. The investigation, to begin on October 30th, will include sending a manned submersible to inspect the state of the potentially fuel-laden wreckage.
A group of orca's at play.
"We are receiving reports that dieseland hydraulic fluid continue to bubble to the surface, indicating thatthe wreckage is still leaking petroleum into critical whale habitat,"says Jennifer Lash of Living Oceans Society. "We must get a clearpicture of what is happening in Robson Bight and develop a plan thataddresses impacts on the whales and marine life."
OnAugust 20th a barge loaded with logging equipment and a fuel truckspilled its contents into the critical whale habitat of the MichaelBigg Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight. A total of 19,000 litres ofpetroleum, mostly diesel, went overboard in the equipment. It isunclear how much diesel remains trapped in the fuel truck andmachinery, now lying at a depth of 350 metres.
The Coast Guard, acting as lead agency on the Robson Bight spill, deems
an investigation unnecessary after a technical assessment concluded that the fuel truck had likely imploded.
Environmental and whale organizations initiated a fundraising effort
shortlyafter the spill, over concerns that the Coast Guard would downplay thesignificance of the incident and not take appropriate action.
"The Coast Guard may believe this wreckage is out of sight and out of
mind,but people from Canada and around the world have raised over $40,000 toget the facts," says Sarah King of Greenpeace Canada. "No other placeis as important to the Northern Resident orcas of Vancouver Island asRobson Bight."
Government agencies with jurisdiction over the incident are divided on
whatshould be done and appear to be deadlocked. The British ColumbiaMinistry of the Environment is for an assessment of the wreckage butfederal government departments such as the Coast Guard and EnvironmentCanada disagree.
"We applaud the Province's continued supportfor an underwater investigation of this environmental disaster," saysPaul Spong of OrcaLab. "It remains a mystery why the Coast Guard hassuch certainty that most of the fuel has already been dispersed. It isdisappointing and frustrating to say the least."