Fraser River Pile and Dredge (FRPD) is emphatically denying that the reported oil slick came from any of their vessels.
“… Fraser River Pile and Dredge (FRPD) equipment was not the cause of the slick,” Sarah Clark, chief operating officer of FRPD, said.
“In the event we do experience spills, our crews are trained on quick response and clean up procedures and have all the necessary equipment on hand to do so. If we experience spills from our own activities we also report to the appropriate regulatory bodies.
“We have noted slicks in the area during our time on site that have not originated from our equipment and have reported to the Prince Rupert Port Authority.”
Contributed: Joe Lewis
On Thursday, commercial fisherman Joe Lewis reported an oil sheen in the harbour near the Fairview Container Terminal, who said it appeared to be emanating from near a FRPD barge (FRPD-BEL Gateway Joint Venture is responsible for the construction of the Fairview Terminal expansion).
“[It was] floating right in toward Fairview II,” Lewis said.
Contributed: Joe Lewis
“You can see small herring and salmonoids feeding amongst it. I’ve seen them floating around dead and twitching and I was wondering what was wrong with them. I’ve seen that on numerous occasions.”
Fish spotted underneath the oil slick in the Prince Rupert harbour. Contributed: Joe Lewis
On April 14, at 10 a.m. Lewis was on the commercial fishing boat he works on when he spotted “a huge oil slick all over the water.” As he followed the slick he took photos with his phone. He also saw oil absorbency mats at the corners of the dock.
Contributed: Joe Lewis
In response to reports of the oil slick, Michael Gurney, the Port of Prince Rupert’s manager of corporate communications, said they take a serious approach to the appearance or suspicion of any contaminants in Prince Rupert harbour.
“We work with the Canadian Coast Guard to identify vessels that pump out contaminated bilge water, which can cause hydrocarbon sheens on the water,” Gurney said in an email.
He stressed that anyone who may notice a waterborne pollutant should notify the Canadian Coast Guard who will investigate and mitigate such incidents.
“With respect to the recent observations brought to our attention by the Northern View, we have followed up with port partners working in the area to confirm the situation and ensure that any issues are being reported appropriately,” Gurney said.
To report a spill, the Canadian Coast Guard line in Prince Rupert is 250-627-3074 (or toll-free 1-800-889-8852).
