The Canadian Coast Guard is reminding Prince Rupert residents to call in when they see a fuel leakage or spill in water bodies along the North Coast.
Last Tuesday, a spill was documented coming from the Seal Cove area, measuring approximately 50m x 100m reaching out into open water from the docks.
While neither Canadian Coast Guard nor Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) received word of the spill (WCMRC is usually notified by Canadian Coast Guard or CCG), CCG pollution response officer Barry Cunningham estimated the spill to only measure less than half a litre.
“And that’s overestimating,” said Cunningham.
“Ritchie Point and Seal Cove area is where that is and there’s a big outfall by Ritchie Point. People dump oil in their sinks or drains or storm sewer and it comes out there, too. But this particular one, I think was a bilge pumping.”
A vessel owner, who had tied his boat at Canfisco later in the week admitted to discharging some oily bilge water on Thursday, and CCG suspects it may be the same source for the Tuesday spill as well but can’t confirm.
Residents can call the CCG’s 24-hour marine pollution report line at 1-800-889-8852 if they see a fuel leakage or spill in area waters.
