Boom containing spilled diesel breaks loose

The Heiltsuk First Nation is reeling after a boom containing spilled diesel from a sunken tug in the Seaforth Channel broke loose late Friday.

In a media release, Chief Marilyn Slett said her community was “in a state of shock” as the diesel broke free of barriers and the weather worsened.

The articulated tug Nathan E. Stewart and the barge it was towing ran aground near Bella Bella last week. The tug began leaking fuel into the water, threatening the Heiltsuk’s traditional clam fisheries.

“Containment has been Heiltsuk priority from Day 1,” Slett said. “Why weren’t seaworthy booms put in place after the spill?”

A spokeswoman for Kirby Offshore Marine, who asked not to be named, confirmed that heavy winds and waves damaged the boom.