Hydraulic Oil Spill Union Bay
Last updated on November 7, 2024Disclaimer:
- Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR)
- Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change
Incident description
| Incident Date | November 04, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Name | DGIR: 244376 |
| Source | Heavy Machinery |
| Nearest Community | Union Bay, B.C. |
| Spilled Content | Hydraulic Oil |
| Who is involved |
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). |
Response phase details
The responsible person or spiller is legally required to cleanup or manage the cleanup of a spill.
In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and 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. Visit the 'More information' page for other 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, 106KB).
Most recent updates
November 04
The Environmental Emergency Branch (EEB) received a report of a spill at the site of Deep Water Recovery, near Union Bay, on November 3rd.
Deep Water Recovery are known to the EEB, as the Province has issued a Pollution Abatement Order. More details about the Pollution Abatement Order can be found here: https://nrced.gov.bc.ca/.
An ENV Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) attended the site on November 4th.
On site the oil sheen had dispersed and was no longer observable.
The EERO was able to confirm that equipment failure of a man lift caused the spill. The material released was biodegradable hydraulic oil and did enter the marine environment.
Currently, there is no concern to public health as a result of this spill.
The EERO was in discussion with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Enforcement Officers. ECCC have issued warnings to Deep Water Recovery on:
- failing to notify of a deleterious substance entering fish-frequented waters.
- using a deleterious substance in water.
The EERO also provided Deep Water Recovery a reminder to report all spills.
With the spill source identified, no further updates are anticipated.