Heiltsuk sue owner, B.C., Canada over tug boat spill

A B.C. First Nation whose fishing grounds were soiled by a diesel spill when a tug boat ran aground is suing the owner of the vessel for alleged negligence and the federal and provincial governments for what it calls an unacceptable response.

The Heiltsuk’s territory is in the Great Bear Rainforest on B.C.’s central coast, and its lawsuit says the fuel spill damaged members’ livelihoods, its clam fishery and took a toll on first responders.

The American-owned tug Nathan E. Stewart ran aground and sank near Bella Bella on Oct. 13, 2016, spilling 110,000 litres of diesel fuel, lubricants, heavy oils and other pollutants.

The Transportation Safety Board released a report in May saying a crew member missed a planned course change because he fell asleep while alone on watch.

The Heiltsuk Tribal Council’s elected chief councillor, Marilyn Slett, told a news conference on Wednesday the legal action in B.C. Supreme Court hinges on loss: “Loss of food, loss of employment, loss of culture and loss of trust.

“I cannot overstate the importance of Gale Pass to our community,” she said, referring to the nation’s food harvesting, village and cultural site.

Slett said two years after the spill, the provincial and federal governments and Houston-based tug boat owner Kirby Offshore Marine have declined to do a meaningful environmental impact assessment to determine the extent of contamination on the surrounding land, sea and marine life.

The allegations have not been proven in court and no statements of defence have been filed on behalf of the governments or Kirby Offshore Marine.