Americas News
Fuel Leaked from Ship for Five Hours in Canadian Harbour
An official final report finds that a Canadian ship leaked fuel into the Halifax harbour for more than five hours in March of 2011 because officers failed to position lookouts properly, provide enough lighting, and because of a delay in reaction to the spill, according to the Canadian Press.
The investigation found that the problem started with the faulty repair of a valve assembly on the Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Preserver, compounded by the failure of quality assurance officers to inspect the system for leaks.
The leak began during refueling at 3:37 a.m. on March 16, 2011, but ship staff did not detect the issue until 6:30 a.m., and fuel spill procedures weren't initiated until 8:45 a.m.
"Too much time elapsed (almost three hours) between the initial discovery (6:30 a.m.) of the overboard discharge and the fuel spill procedures being initiated (08:45 a.m.) allowing for an additional release of more than 5,800 litres of diesel fuel oil (more than 40 per cent of the total quantity spilled)," Cmdr. Yves Germain said in the report.
Altogether, 14,000 litres of diesel fuel spilled into the harbour, although the navy was eventually able to recover most of the fuel before it spread to shore.
Not enough protective suits were available for the cleanup, and 54 navy personnel who helped handle the spill sustained minor injuries including blurry vision, weakness, and difficulty concentrating brought on by ingestion of fuel oil.
Deputy fleet commander Capt. Richard Feltham said the Navy has changed standards on lighting and personnel, as well as training for new officers, in response to the report. Four officers have also received letters of poor performance around the incident.
The HMCS Preserver was built in 1970 and completed a year-long retrofit in March 2011, according to the navy's website.
