British Columbia Photos
Friday: much more photographs included at bottom
an United states tugboat pressing an empty petroleum barge features operate aground and is leaking gas near Bella Bella found on B.C.’s remote central shore.
The tug, Nathan E. Stewart, owned by Houston-based Kirby Corporation, ran aground just after 1 a.m. Thursday on a reef in the entry to Sea Forth Channel on Athlone Island.. The tug later on sank at about 9:50 a.m.
According towards the regional Heiltsuk Tribal Council, the tug ended up being considered to be carrying about 60, 000 gallons of fuel onboard, and three of its tanks happen breached.
The 287-foot lengthy barge, DBL 55, is certainly not laden with any cargo.
All seven regarding the tugboats team members have now been rescued safely.
The articulated tug and barge (ATB) ended up being cruising southbound from Ketchikan, Alaska to Vancouver whenever incident happened.
Photos from scene show a heavy sheen of oil in liquid surrounding ATB without any signs of boom put around vessels.
Heiltsuk Tribal Council states the spill threatens to devastate a sensitive and painful harvesting location for manila clam bedrooms.
The Canadian coast-guard features vessels on scene and also other very first responders. Additional employees and equipment had been en route from Western Canada aquatic Response Corporation (WCMRC).
“WCMRC ended up being activated and deployed vessels and team from their response base in Prince Rupert, ” a statement from WCMRC stated. “A cellular skimming vessel, two increase skiffs, a workboat and tug and barge with three response trailers were deployed to your scene. Regional WCMRC response technicians from Shearwater came on scene and boomed the casualty. Vessels and staff from WCMRC’s Vancouver base are on stand-by.”
“This is a stirring reminder the north shore oil tanker moratorium is not legislated fast sufficient, ” Heiltsuk Tribal Council Chief Councillor Marilyn Slett stated in a statement. “We has to take note, but that tanker barges like this may well not even be within the ban. The musical organization should be complete, and pour reaction needs to be improved.”
