Foss 153 Diesel Spill Dinan Bay Haida Gwaii - April 25, 2020

Taan Forest Announcements
Written By Ileah Mattice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 25, 2020, 15:00 PST

UNIFIED COMMAND JOINT ADVISORY:
FOSS 153 DIESEL SPILL DIINAN KAHLII DINAN BAY HAIDA GWAII

Following three days of intense spill response, clean-up efforts are now being directed to shoreline monitoring and environmental sampling:

  • As of Saturday morning, April 25, no diesel has been observed on the water with much of the spill dissipating, evaporating and being recovered by response crews.

  • All deployed spill response gear has been collected for disposal in compliance with the Waste Management Plan.

  • Biologists will continue sampling water, soil, and marine life to assess impacts and identify any further requirements for clean-up efforts.

A virtual Unified Command (UC) continues to oversee the incident. UC includes representatives from HaiCo (Taan Forest), the Council of the Haida Nation, Canadian Coast Guard, and BC Ministry of Environment. Unified Command is also supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Due to Coronavirus (COVID19), on-island resources are being utilized on the ground and all meetings are occurring via teleconference.

SUMMARY

  • Spill reported early Wednesday morning, April 22, of 4500L from FOSS 153. Initial estimates from a NASP overflight found 1900L on the water, with over 50% evaporating and dissipating within the first 24hrs. On Friday, April 24, the NASP overflight reported 150.4L. As of 10:00hrs April 25th no plume can be found.

  • Oil-absorbing booms and sorbent pads were deployed upon discovery.

  • Focus on spill recovery and deflecting diesel from the shoreline and environmentally and culturally sensitive sites over the last three days.

  • Local monitoring of shorelines and sensitive areas continues.

  • Additional spill response prepared for deployment should monitoring discover further areas to action.

UC wishes to commend those on the water and the shoreline, for all their efforts. All agencies are working closely with Taan Forest to ensure that the spill is addressed as quickly as possible and UC continues to work diligently to minimize possible impacts. Resources are being deployed to monitor and respond to the incident, including great efforts to minimize cultural and environmental impacts.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

  • Karen Dean (250) 626-9722

  • Sonia Rice (250) 626-9049

Ileah Mattice
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Foss 153 Diesel Spill Dinan Bay Haida Gwaii - April 24, 2020