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Dinan Bay diesel spill clean-up being redirected to shoreline

Unified Command reports no plume on the water as of Saturday
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Clean-up efforts for the estimated 4,500 litres of diesel that spilled into Dinan Bay on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 were being redirected to the shoreline as of Saturday, April 25, 2020. (Mapcarta screengrab)

Clean-up efforts for the estimated 4,500 litres of diesel that spilled into Dinan Bay on Wednesday are being redirected to the shoreline.

A release on Saturday from the the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN)’s business arm HaiCo and its company Taan Forest said that as of 10 a.m., following three days of spill response, a National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) overflight found no diesel plume on the water, “with much of the spill dissipating, evaporating and being recovered by response crews.”

“Following three days of intense spill response, clean-up efforts are now being directed to shoreline monitoring and environmental sampling,” the release said.

ALSO READ: Diesel spill reported near mouth of Dinan Bay on Haida Gwaii

The spill occurred sometime between midnight and 5 a.m. on April 22, when a valve feeding diesel to the electrical generator on the Taan Forest-owned Toba Barge failed, and an estimated 4,500 litres of diesel leaked onto the deck and into the ocean near the mouth of the bay.

Initial estimates from a NASP overflight found 1,900 litres on the water, with over 50 per cent evaporating and dissipating within first 24 hours, the release said, adding that on Friday, the NASP overflight reported just over 150 litres on the water.

Oil-absorbing booms and absorbent pads were deployed upon discovery, and additional booms, absorbent materials and personal protective equipment from the Canadian Coast Guard were also deployed when they arrived Friday morning.

Biologists are conducting ongoing sampling of water, soil, and marine life to assess impacts.

The B.C. Ministry of Environment is overseeing the spill response with CHN, HaiCo and Taan Forest, supported by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada.

ALSO READ: Police investigating diesel spill in Masset Harbour

Do you have something to add to this story or something else we should report on? Email:
karissa.gall@blackpress.ca.


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