DISCLAIMER: Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management B.C. Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.
Incident Description
| Incident Date |
March 12, 2018 |
| Name |
English Bay Oil Sheen |
| Source |
Unknown |
| Nearest Community |
Vancouver |
| Spilled Content |
Oil (type unknown) |
| Who is involved? |
Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC), B.C. Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy, |
Response Phase Detail
The responsible person or spiller is legally required to clean-up or manage the clean-up of a spill. In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the clean up, the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy (MOE) may assume the role. The updates below reflect the Ministry’s oversight of the spillers’ actions; details describe the spill response phase, only, and not the complete lifecycle of the spill. See More Information for other related reports.
Updates are in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top. Industry-specific language may be explained in the Glossary of Terms (PDF).
Most Recent Update
March 13, 2018 - 5:15 pm
A non-recoverable sheen was visible in English Bay last night and again this morning (March 13, 2018). No thicker, recoverable product was observed.
A Canadian Coast Guard vessel from the Kitsilano base was dispatched with an Emergency Response Specialist on board to search for the source of the oil sheens. Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) was also dispatched to English Bay to help monitor for sheen.
The National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) plane conducted an aerial assessment of English Bay earlier today.
Various sources advised that the largest concentration of oil was near the vessel Theodore Jr. at Anchorage 5, closest to Jericho Beach. The NASP flight also observed an estimated 28L of oil around Anchorage 5.
The Canadian Coast Guard and the Vancouver Port Authority boarded the Theodore Jr. and spoke to the Captain and Chief Engineer. The crew reported they had not been transferring product or other undergoing any activity that could have led to the sheen. The Canadian Coast Guard officers did not observe a potential cause of the sheen.
Response crews have attempted to recover the product with absorbent material, but confirmed the slick is a non-recoverable sheen, with no smell.
No further operational activities are planned. However, Canadian Coast Guard will return to English Bay tomorrow morning (March 14, 2018) to re-assess.
This update was provided during a multi-agency coordination call at 3 pm, led by Canadian Coast Guard. The call was well-attended by most regional partners, including local First Nations.
No further updates are anticipated for this incident.
Last updated on April 5, 2023