The government of British Columbia, Canada, reports that a diesel spill occurred at a fish farm near the village of Zeballos on Vancouver Island on Saturday, December 14.
The BC government said it appears that the spill was a result of a fuel transfer operation on a floating concrete platform. Approximately 7,500 litres of diesel ended up being spilled.
The BC Environmental Emergency Branch (EEB) has since deployed response staff to the incident site.
Fish farm owner Grieg Seafood and Strategic Natural Resource Consultants (SNRC) reported that they were on the water to monitor and track the spill and have placed absorbent boom around the spill site. SNRC reported that its personnel were unable to locate recoverable diesel on the water.
On Sunday, December 15, BC response staff were able to conduct on water and aerial surveillance with Grieg Seafood and First Nations representatives. From the surveillance, visible sheen has been identified North and West towards Centre Island from the spill site. There are also smaller patches of observable sheen South and East towards Steamer Point.
The Canadian Coast Guard sent out an advisory through its Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) communication system to local mariners to advise of the diesel spill and to avoid the area. The Ehattesaht First Nation meanwhile issued a clam harvesting alert and closure in the Zeballos Inlet.
An Incident Command Post (ICP) has since been established in Zeballos at the Ehattesaht First Nation Band Office. Multiple response organisations and governments are working together at the ICP under the concept of Unified Command.
The organizations and governments that established the Unified Command are Grieg Seafood, the province (represented by the Ministry of Environment and Parks), the federal government (represented by Environment and Climate Change Canada), Ehattesaht First Nation, Nuchatlaht First Nation, and Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation.
The CCG reported that it dispatched a patrol vessel to the area on the morning (local time) of Monday, December 16. The coast guard reported no sightings of fuel.
The BC government said the responsible person or spiller (Grieg Seafood in this case) is legally required to clean up 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 Parks (ENV) may assume the role.