Region ‘still not ready’ for major tanker spill
When the MV Marathassa leaked at least 2,700 litres of bunker fuel into Vancouver’s harbour one year ago, the effects of the spill reached far beyond the city’s picturesque waters and beaches.
Delays in cleanup and notification of the city sparked public outrage, drew attention to Conservative cuts to the Canadian Coast Guard and prompted a flurry of campaign promises from the New Democrats and Liberals.
The miscommunication and uncertainty of roles that caused the delays were revealed months later in an independent report, which made a number of recommendations that the coast guard says it is implementing.
But city manager Sadhu Johnston says despite improvements made by the federal government — including reopening the Kitsilano coast guard base and working toward a regional response plan — fears about oil spills still loom large. “Not a ton has changed since last year,” he said. “There’s been planning and engagement together, but we’re still not there yet. We’re still not ready for a ma- jor tanker spill in this region.”
Coun. Andrea Reimer said the incident involving a bulk grain carrier revealed serious gaps in preparedness and response that would be critical during a larger spill from an oil tanker. “We do not have confidence that there’s anywhere near the capacity that would be needed to deal with existing oil shipments, let alone vastly increased ones under an expanded pipeline proposal,” she said.
Michael Davies, senior director of marine development at Kinder Morgan Canada, said an extra $100 million will go to Western Canada Marine Response Corp., which includes 100 new people at five bases. The Liberal government included $23.59 million in this year’s budget to reopen the Kitsilano coast guard base, shuttered by the Conservatives in 2013.
Western Marine Response Corp. has purchased new equipment to improve its ability to assess the severity of spills, including drones and a blimp that can be launched from its vessels with an infrared camera that works in fog or at night, spokesman Michael Lowry said.