Americas News
Canada to Tackle Bunker Fuel Leaking from 50+ Year Old Wreck
Canada's federal government is to investigate a suspected bunker fuel leak from a vessel that sunk 53 years ago off the coast of Vancouver Island.
A $7 million contract to investigate the wreck has been awarded to US-based Resolve Marine Group, notable for their work on the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill and re-floating of the Costa Concordia cruise ship among others.
The undersea technical assessment with determine the amount of fuel remaining on board and the rate at which it is leaking.
While the M/V Schiedyk has laid relatively uneventfully since running around and sinking in 1968, at the end of last year a two km spill attributable to the vessel was identified near the Bligh Island marine park.
The leak is currently estimated to be between one and 13 litres per hour depending on sea conditions, according to local reports.
So far 33 tonnes of fuel have been recovered.
"Wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels pose a serious threat to our natural environment," The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said in a written statement.
"I'm thrilled to announce that the Coast Guard will now work with Resolve Marine Group to address the threat posed by the MV Schiedyk to waters off the coast of Vancouver Island. This will help preserve the health and beauty of one of Canada's most iconic coastlines for generations to come."
