The Canadian Coast Guard is standing down response efforts 鈥渁t this time鈥� to the incident involving BC Ferries鈥� Queen of New Westminster vessel, which discharged 800 litres of hydraulic oil into the water on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
According to the coast guard, the situation 鈥渞emains stable鈥� and there have been no reports of oil or any impacted wildlife.
The oil discharge took place in the vicinity of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, caused by the 60-year-old vessel鈥檚 starboard propeller falling from its propulsion shaft.
鈥淭his oil disperses quickly in the marine environment and visual inspections by other vessels in the area have not detected any remaining oil sheen on the water,鈥� said Ritinder Matthew, BC Ferries鈥� director of media and issues.
The vessel was pulled from service on Sept. 3, causing multiple sailing cancellations on the busy Schwartz Bay to Tsawwassen route. The cancellations also rolled into Sept. 4, causing inconvenience for travellers.
Once notified about the leak, the coast guard crews were immediately deployed to assess the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and surrounding areas with remote piloted aircraft systems and by helicopter.
鈥淪ome non-recoverable sheen was observed around the terminal,鈥� said Kiri Westnedge, communications advisor for the Canadian Coast Guard. 鈥淭he Canadian Coast Guard notified First Nations and stakeholders, and was prepared to deploy pollution counter measure equipment to protect sensitive areas.鈥�
A flight over the area between the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and Swartz Bay ferry terminal was also conducted on Sept. 4.
鈥淣o visible pollution was observed during this flight,鈥� said Westnedge.
As a result of the mechanical failure, BC Ferries has cancelled all Queen of New Westminster鈥檚 sailings up to and including September 30th.
A dive in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 6., located the vessel鈥檚 propeller on the seabed. BC Ferries said it is planning for its recovery.
鈥淲e are also working to source suitable spares and have secured a dry dock for later this month. However, depending on parts availability, the vessel could remain out of service for an extended period.鈥�
BC Ferries said they are doing everything they can to minimize disruptions, including offering additional sailings on the Coastal Celebration and Coastal Renaissance vessels where possible.
鈥淲e sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disruption this service outage has caused, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers as we work through these repairs. We will continue to keep you and the public updated with any new developments,鈥� said Matthew.
The coast guard has asked any members of the public who observe marine pollution, to contact them at: 1-800-889-8852.
