Barge that spilled fuel towed

A construction barge that dumped up to 30,000 litres of fuel into Esquimalt Harbour was to be towed to Vancouver on Wednesday night for permanent repairs.

Vancouver Pile Driving’s barge, which carries a crane, broke loose in high winds early Sunday morning. The barge ran aground on the flat, sandy and rockstrewn beach of Plumper Bay, which is ringed by Esquimalt Nation on one side and Songhees Nation on the other.

Cleanup crews were on scene by 1 p.m. Sunday and skimmed the water’s surface throughout the night. By Monday afternoon, about 27,000 litres of diesel had been recovered and the marine portion of the cleanup was deemed complete.

Kim Stanley, manager of health, safety and environment at Vancouver Pile Driving, said Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard approved the plan to transport the decontaminated barge to Vancouver, where it will undergo repairs.

The booms put in place to contain the spill are also being taken away.

Low-pressure water flushing of the beach is underway and is expected to take “at least a week or two,” Stanley said.

The flushing won’t cease until the shoreline is cleaned according to strict provincial and federal standards, he said. Smaller localized booms will be put in place to capture run-off as significantly oily areas of the shoreline are flushed.

Meanwhile, sediment and water samples are being taken to monitor any contamination. Those results are expected by today, Stanley said.

Clams, just one form of fish and shellfish in the area, will also be sampled for possible contamination, he said.

The cost of the cleanup is unknown at this time. Under federal policy, the polluter is responsible for paying, said Leanne Shaw, spokeswoman for Vancouver Pile Driving.

Island Health and the First Nations Health Authority have advised people and pets to stay clear of the water and shoreline. A Fisheries and Oceans Canada prohibition on harvesting fish species in Esquimalt Harbour remains in place.

A Canada goose and three goslings were found covered in oil from the spill, but were deemed to be only “lightly impacted,” said Michael Lowry of Western Canada Marine Response, which is heading up the marine response and cleanup.

Thus far, the cleanup activity and equipment have deterred other wildlife.