Fuel-laden barge drops anchor after it was adrift of B.C.’s central coast

Officials say conditions off British Columbia’s central coast improved overnight, slightly easing concerns about a loaded fuel barge that broke away from its tug southwest of Bella Bella.

Katelyn Moores of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says another tug, the Gulf Cajun, was preparing to take the 128-metre barge under tow.

The barge was originally identified by the centre as the United States registered Jake Shearer, but Moores says that is the name of the tug that was pushing the barge through Queen Charlotte Sound when it broke free. Moores says the barge is the Zidell Marine 277, also registered in the U.S., and it is loaded with 3.5 million litres of diesel and 468,000 litres of gasoline.

She says two crew members from the Jake Shearer were able to board it, despite strong winds and rough seas on Sunday.

They dropped the barge’s anchor off Goose Island. The rescue co-ordination centre says winds have eased to about 37 kilometres per hour, with two-metre swells.

Tweets from members of the nearby Heiltsuk Nation say improved conditions were a relief but the band’s members continued to monitor the situation.

Heiltsuk spokeswoman Jess Housty posted messages on social media saying they were responding with their best people and experience from last year’s sinking of the Nathan E. Stewart, which spilled 110,000 litres of diesel.

“Reminder that a positive resolution, while desperately hoped for, will not make the horror of this unnecessary event irrelevant. Change is needed,” Housty tweeted about the latest situation.

Moores said two Canadian Coast Guard vessels were at the scene.

A B.C. Environment Ministry spokesman said because there hasn’t been a spill, federal officials were leading the response.