Foss 153 Diesel Spill Diinan Kahlii Dinan Bay Haida Gwaii

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	April 22, 2020
Name	Foss 153 Diesel Spill Diinan Kahlii Dinan Bay Haida Gwaii (DGIR: 200235 )
Source	Accommodation Barge
Nearest Community	Port Clements, Haida Gwaii
Spilled Content	Diesel Fuel
Who is involved?	Council of the Haida Nation (CHN), Taan Forest, Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), B.C. Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), Highlander Marine Response, Pacificus Biological Consulting

 

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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 (ENV) 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

April 30,  2020 - 2:20 pm

A unified command consisting of the Canadian Coast Guard, B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Council of the Haida Nation, and Taan Forestry has completed its response to the spill.

An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) will continue to monitor the incident as it resolves.

No further updates are expected at this time

April 27,  2020 - 5:20 pm

The Canadian Coast Guard, Council of the Haida Nation, and Taan Forestry continue to respond to the spill.  An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) continues to engage in Unified Command and provide support to the Environmental Unit. Taan Forestry has retained Pacificus Biological Consulting to determine any impacts to fisheries.

No oil has been observed on the water today and no direct impacts to local communities have been identified at this time. 

Further updates will be provided when new information is available. 

April 25,  2020 - 3:00 pm

An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) continues to work in Unified Command on this incident.

The latest information can be found at: https://www.taanforest.com/news/foss-153-diesel-spill-dinan-bay-haida-gwaii-2

Further updates will be provided when new information is available. 

April 24,  2020 - 3:00 pm

Spill response is continuing with on-water crews today. Taan Forest and Highlander Marine Response are working on site to assess the spread of the sheen, implementing recovery strategies to protect resources at risk identified by the Environmental Unit, and monitoring any potential wildlife impacts.  

Additional response equipment was flown to site today including sorbent and boom.

Biologists are on route to the incident site to begin sampling activities.

Further updates will be provided when new information is available. 

April 24, 2020 - 1:45 pm 

During the night on April 22, 2020,  a valve feeding diesel fuel to the electrical generator failed on the Toba Barge, owned by Taan Forest, overflowed spilling diesel fuel into the marine environment. Shoreline impacts have been observed in Dinan Bay.

Initial response activities were deployed by barge staff. Additional response equipment was deployed to site from Queen Charlotte City and Prince Rupert.

The National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) conducted an overflight at 12:30 pm on April 23, 2020. The overflight observed approximately 1970 liters of diesel fuel. 

The Council of Haida Nations has compiled sensitivity maps of the area to share with responding agencies.

A virtual Unified Command (UC) has been established and is being led by Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Council of the Haida Nation and Taan Forestry.

Due to COVID19, local island resources are being utilized on the ground and all meetings are occurring via teleconference. 

The BC Environmental Emergency Response Officer has notified the following: Village of Port Clements, Village of Old Masset, Village of Masset, Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC), Northern Health Authority, and First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). 

Further information can be found at: https://www.taanforest.com/news/foss-153-diesel-spill-dinan-bay-haida-gwaii

Additional updates will be provided when new information is available.