Lessons learned from MV Miner saga
Cleanup delayed by discovery of unforeseen fuel and asbestos
Important lessons have been learned from the costly removal of the MV Miner from the shores of Scatarie Island, the area’s municipal councillor says.
The Cape Breton Post filed a Freedom of Information request with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal earlier this year related to the removal of the MV Miner. The disclosure includes ministerial briefing notes dating back to 2013.
While the original tender awarded was to see Antigonish-based R.J. MacIsaac Construction paid $11.9 million for removal of the derelict vessel when the contract was announced in spring 2014, the cost ultimately ballooned to $18.5 million. The province and the contractor entered an arbitration process to deal with the unforeseen costs.
“When you have a community that is dependent on its last industry, which is a very successful fishing industry, you think about what kind of cost that could have had to our community,” Dist. 8 Coun. Amanda McDougall said in an interview.
McDougall is also involved with the Main-a-Dieu Community Development Association, which advocated for the cleanup.
“I think it’s also very important to note that because of this situation there have been changes in legislation, they’re very slow right now, but there are changes taking place at the federal level now about permitting.”
The original request for proposals for the salvage of the MV Miner was based on information provided by the federal government in the vessel’s green passport, ministerial briefing notes state. That document indicated there was just over 6,000 kilograms of asbestos onboard and no fuel remaining. It also indicated there was just over 9,100 kilograms of floatables aboard.
A March 31, 2016 information note from Gary Campbell, president of Nova Scotia Lands, notes that the actual totals removed from the wreck were more than 38,200 kilograms of asbestos, 26,675 litres of petroleum product and 35,000 kilograms of floatables.
“This was the argument from our group, especially towards the federal government because there are some gaping, gaping holes in the permit issuing process, that green passport was so inaccurate that thank God we did have a community group that stood up and said, ‘No, you have to remove it,’” McDougall said.
“If that had just been left there, it could have been catastrophic to our fishing industry.”
The cleanup was delayed by the discovery of unforeseen fuel and asbestos, Campbell wrote. He added that on Sept. 30, 2014, then-transport minister Lisa Raitt wrote, “The Canadian Coast Guard has informed Transport Canada that it has removed all pollutants from the vessel. Should the vessel become a marine pollution hazard or a significant obstruction to navigation, Transport Canada will take appropriate action within its mandate.”
The company also had to deal with harsher than usual winter conditions. The work was completed in late 2015.
There was one incident in May 2015 that saw the spilling of some contaminants.
At the time, the Cape Breton Post reported that provincial Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan said the removal process discovered an oil leak, but protective measures in place by the contractor resulted in only a trace amount getting into the water.
A ministerial briefing note states that there had been concerns about removing the final engine room component so a containment plan was put into place and no heavy oil made it past the booms.
“We were pretty happy with how quickly everything was contained,” McDougall said, adding the lack of other serious incidents given the magnitude of the project, “speaks to the professionalism of the company that was hired.”
The leak occurred when the drive shaft-propeller system was being removed and regulatory agencies were alerted. About 800 litres of oil were collected and contained.
“Without the controlled salvage of the vessel and implementation of an adequate oil containment plan, this oil product would not be released into the lucrative local fishing grounds,” the briefing note states.
A department spokesperson said in June the department is considering next steps with regards to approaching the federal government now that costs have been finalized.
Cape Breton-Canso Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner has said his research of the legalities around similar wrecks has indicated that once they find their way to a shoreline, it’s the responsibility of the province if it wants it removed. He said his response is consistent with the view he held prior to the election of the federal Liberals.
The current federal government has since brought in an Oceans Protections Act which includes help in the cleanup of small vessels and which provides the Canadian Coast Guard with better resources to allow it to respond more quickly to larger vessels in trouble.
The former Conservative federal government said it wasn’t responsible for any part of the cleanup bill because the wreck did not present an environmental or navigational hazard.