A fuel truck carrying 17,000 litres of diesel that sank off the east coast of Vancouver Island has been successfully recovered.
The B.C. Environment Ministry reported that the truck was hoisted out of the water on Friday evening with minimal fuel release during the lift.
The truck had plunged 27 to 36 metres deep into Chancellor Channel, a rockfish conservation area by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, after rolling off a barge during a windstorm on April 20.
The barge, operated by Marine Link Transportation, was en route from Menzies Bay to Hardwicke Island to deliver fuel to a logging operator when the incident occurred. The operator promptly reported the incident to the Canadian Coast Guard.
Responders from the Coast Guard, a marine spill response company, and First Nations were on site the next morning. Using an underwater, remote-operated vehicle, they detected fuel leaking from one of the truck’s five tanks.
In a joint statement last week, the ministry, Coast Guard, Marine Link, and the Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai, and K’ómoks First Nations described the leaks as “intermittent and minimal.” Divers worked to patch the leaks while surveying the truck’s orientation.
Following the truck’s removal, containment crews remained on-site overnight to monitor the situation. Crews will continue to inspect the shoreline for any signs of environmental damage.
