Vehicles that fell into ocean at Robson Bight are intact, video shows

Fuel truck, ambulance, logging equipment went into water when barge tipped at Robson Bight ecological reserve

Judith Lavoie, Victoria Times Colonist
Published: Monday, February 11, 2008

Video footage from 350 metres below the ocean surface shows pieces of logging equipment, including a fuel truck, sitting on the bottom of Robson Bight almost intact.

The remarkably clear pictures, which show dents, but, no holes in the fuel truck and an octopus perched on top of an ambulance, were taken in December by Nuytco Research Ltd., the North Vancouver company contracted by the provincial and federal governments to look at the site where a barge tipped 11 pieces of equipment into the Robson Bight ecological reserve in August.


The equipment, belonging to Ted LeRoy Trucking of Chemainus, contained an estimated total of 19,000 litres of petroleum, some of which immediately started leaking into the famed killer whale habitat, where threatened northern resident killer whales rub themselves on pebble beaches.

Although immediately after the accident experts said the equipment had almost certainly imploded, the video shows only two pieces are badly damaged.

Environment Ministry spokesman Kate Thompson said the province and the Canadian Coast Guard will ask technical experts to provide a more detailed analysis of the equipment - especially the tanker which contained 10,000 litres of fuel - assess the risks and look at options.

Environment Canada will look at the potential effects if more fuel starts leaking, she said.

"We don't know how long that is going to take," Thompson said.

"It's very early days. We just wanted to make sure people know what we are dealing with," she said.

As it appears no fuel is currently leaking, it gives a window to do a thorough investigation, she said.

Jennifer Lash of the Living Oceans Society said it is good news that no fuel is currently coming to the surface, but, the bad news is that a fuel truck is sitting on the bottom of Robson Bight corroding and waiting to leak fuel.

"They can't spend weeks and months trying to work out a plan, they need to take action quite quickly," she said.

Lash believes it is possible to bring the equipment to the surface, but such an operation will be extremely expensive.

"Will they let the dollar value stand in the way of protecting critical whale habitat?" she asked.

"I remain optimistic that they will take the right step and remove that equipment. They can't leave it down there with the potential of destroying the habitat of killer whales."

A wrinkle is who will pay the cost of the clean up.

Although B.C. has legislation in place saying the polluter is responsible, Ted LeRoy Trucking has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Watch the video here
Source: Time Colonist