Severed Ship to Shore Line Causes 3,000 Litre Fuel Spill

The CCGS Terry Fox was dispatched to the site of the spill to assist in initial assessments and any clean-up activities

The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) says an estimated 3,000 litres of oil has been spilled by the M/T Sarah Desgagnés during a fuel transfer to the community of Salluit, west of Ungava Bay, in Northern Quebec.

The incident occurred on October 7 after the vessel's propeller severed the fuel line leading to the Salluit storage tanks.

A standard emergency disconnect process had already been undertaken as a result of strong winds and snow rendering the transfer unsafe.

CCG says the fuel was expected to be discharged quickly and that no sheen was spotted around the M/T Sarah Desgagnés.

Serge Le Guellec, the president and general manager of Transport Desgagnés, which owns the M/T Sarah Desgagnés, told CBC News that "The crew had pretty much completed the discharge operation of the diesel fuel when the weather took a turn with high winds arising and snowy conditions."

According to Le Guellec, they had disconnected the hose and closed the valves on the shore, when the waves and movement of the vessel caused a portion of the line to be damaged by the props.

The CCGS Terry Fox was dispatched to the site of the spill to assist in initial assessments and any clean-up activities, as well as assess the shoreline, fish, and wildlife in the area.

Greg Lick,
 director general, CCG Operations stated that "The CCG is well prepared for this type of incident and is ready to deploy environmental response equipment from the CCGS Terry Fox, as needed."

The spill comes on the heels of the infamous 1970s shipwreck Arrow found to be leaking oil near Canada's Cape Breton coast.