SITREP
Incident: BLIGH ISLAND SHIPWRECK
Incident Start Date DECEMBER 3, 2020
Location: BLIGH ISLAND, VANCOUVER ISLAND
Situational Overview
As a result of a number of sightings of sheening and oiling in the vicinity of Bligh Island / Zuciarte Channel, CCG confirms that the shipwreck of the M/V Schiedyk, a 483’ bulk carrier that sank in 1968, has started to release oil.The situation escalated over (Dec 4-6), and heavy oil was observed on the water and staining rocks on the shoreline. As a result the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) contracted the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) to deploy to the area. CCG has established an Incident Command System (ICS) for this incident, with CCG as the Federal Incident Commander in this Unified command alongside Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations. Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations report that the product is seeping from more than one location and that vessel is resting hull-up in 350–400 ft. of water. M/V Schiedyk was carrying approximately 1000 tons of grain and pulp when it grounded. Oil type is yet to be confirmed but currently reported as heavy fuel oil—upwelling is estimated at 1–4 L per hour but operations believe this may be increasing. Daily preventative actions are being taken to contain the immediate threats and prevent long-term damage to the environment. The incident public website is now live. CCG has on going scheduled Transport Canada National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) overflights of the area. Drone operations continue. Large amount off-shore boom has been placed to assist with heavy fuel oil containment. South of the wreck site deflection booming has been set up. Numerous Geographic Response Strategy (GRS) boom has been implemented across ecological sensitive areas.
Safety
  • Public Safety and security
  • Safety of Responders
Incident Priorities
  • Maximize response staff integration across organizations.
  • Ensure safety of responders and the public.
  • Ensure a unified response effort to include Federal, Provincial, and Indigenous priorities.
  • Minimize impacts to ecological, socio-economic, and cultural areas.
  • Ensure fluid and efficient incident communication is easily accessible
Incident Objectives
A. Enforcing the emergency zone during operations at the casualty site.

B. Contain upwelling at the source and recover product on-water.

C. Manage waste including debris

D. Maintain protection strategies within the area of operations as required.

E. Implement hazing, capture, and rehabilitation strategies for impacted birds and marine mammals when a need is identified.

F. Build the requirements to ensure responders have the ability to recover large pollution countermeasure equipment and temporarily store waste and soiled equipment on-site.

 
Agencies Involved (either in person or remote)
  • Unified Command – Canadian Coast Guard, Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nations, BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
  • Canadian Coast Guard Environmental Response and other programs
  • National Environmental Emergencies Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
  • Western Canada Marine Response Corporation
  • Ehattesaht Fisheries
  • Nuu Chah Nulth Tribal Council
  • Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation
  • Hesquiaht First Nation
  • BC Parks
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  • Canadian Wildlife Service

 

Incident Management Team (IMT): UNIT UPDATES

 

OPERATIONS

  • CCGS Bartlett will be on location at the wreck site on the evening of Dec. 29 and will scout out a location for the “Viking” weather buoy to be installed. (2020-12-26)
  • CCGS Bartlett will be a command and control platform at the wreck site on Dec. 29. (2020-12-26)
  • Added floats to the RoBoom chains on the containment boom at the wreck site. (2020-12-26)
  • 60+ bags of waste from the wreck site today. (2020-12-26)
  • Oil sheen is floating north of containment. (2020-12-26)
  • Sweeps are being conducted at wreck site. (2020-12-26)
  • CCG conducted RoBoom and mooring checks at the wreck site containment boom. (2020-12-25)
  • Floats added to the south end mooring line at the containment boom at the wreck site. (2020-12-25)
  • Southern mooring line on RoBoom apex has been deployed. (2020-12-24)
  • Crews continue to tend to the GRS boom sites. (2020-12-24)
  • Failed deflection boom at wreck site over night from large debris striking it. Approx. 100m is damaged. (2020-12-24)
  • 2300’ of deflection boom has been deployed to the North East mooring, north of the RoBoom. (2020-12-23)
  • 800’ of RoBoom was deployed off the Emergency Offshore Tow Vessel Atlantic Raven (CCG asset). Both north ends secured to moorings and holding steady. Boom shape is as intended and is maintaining on a flood tide. (2020-12-22)
  • ETV Atlantic Raven has been demobilized this afternoon. (2020-12-23)
  • M/V Essington II vessel has been demobilized. (2020-12-23)

LOGISTICS

  • Working on Gold River Timber being mobilized to install boom stick to assist with preventing large floating debris from going into the wreck site containment boom. Hoping to mobilize on Dec. 28. (2020-12-26)
  • Organizing satellite internet to be installed at the CCG staging area. Hoping to have connectivity by Dec. 31. (2020-12-26)
  • Land use agreement has been signed for the staging area. (2020-12-24)
  • VHF repeater is operational and crews are reporting stronger comms in the area. (2020-12-24)
  • Developing a statement of work for a decontamination/waste contract for tug and barge on-site. (2020-12-24)
  • A VHF base station has been set up at Critter Cove and is functional. (2020-12-23)
  • Brushing complete at the VHF repeater site. Crews remain on-site to continue with installation of the repeater. (2020-12-23)

 

AIR OPERATIONS

  • No significant updates today. (2020-12-26)
  • NASP flew over the site today and estimated 6.1L of product on the water. (2020-12-23)

BOOM IN PLACE. (2020-12-17)

 

OIL RECOVERED

SOURCE AMOUNT

M/V Shiedyk None

Surface Oil 60+ bags (2020-12-26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Environmental Unit (EU): UPDATES

 

  • Pacificus Sampling will be in Gold River tomorrow around 1030h. Sampling will take place, weather depending. (2020-12-26)
  • EU looking into possible incineration of the oily organic debris that get caught in the RoBoom containment area. Province is looking into permits for incineration. (2020-12-26)
  • A whale was spotted near the RoBoom containment this afternoon. Species unknown, but it was not an Orca. (2020-12-23)
  • National Environmental Emergencies Centre (NEEC) is reviewing and analyzing observations of the spill, data collected from many drifters released daily and freshwater inputs from local rivers to understand the flow dynamics in the Zuciarte Channel and possibly develop a strategy to improve the prediction of the trajectory and fate and behaviour of the spill in the short term. (2020-12-23)
  • NEEC has requested the support of ocean modellers from the Ocean Sciences Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to run and validate a high resolution ocean model they developed to predict currents in the Nootka Sound in the longer term that will be used for provision of improved operational oil spill modelling on a daily basis. (2020-12-23)
  • NEEC is coordinating with the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) and the Pacific Storm Prediction Centre to arrange for a longer term climatology of the area to allow for longer term planning. (2020-12-23)
  • DFO Marine Mammal Rescue will be back on scene with Conservation and Protection on Dec. 26th. (2020-12-23)
  • NEEC working on a model to assist with contingency planning. The modelling will be around the effects and fate of a 30t release of product. (2020-12-21)
  • 18 sites have been added to the Resources at Risk along the west side of Bligh Island and the entrance to Nootka Sound. Next task will be to assign priorities to them. (2020-12-21)
  • Soiled Sea Otter was not captured yesterday. Animal appears healthy and is very active, which makes capture challenging. (2020-12-21)

 

Wildlife Observations
Wildlife Species Verified Impacted Observed
Sea Otter 1 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Harbour Seal 1 (Transiting through area. Likely minimal impact)
Stellar Sea Lion 1 (Transiting through area. Likely minimal impact)
Baleen Whale 1

 

ASSIGNED RESOURCES:

Vessels:

  • CCG MCI Landing Craft – Drone on board
  • CGE 735 (PRV III)
  • CGE 668 (PRV III)
  • CGE 777 (RHIB)
  • DFO C&P RHIB – “Rugged Point”
  • DFO C&P RHIB – “Miracle Bay”
  • WCMRC – Cortes Sentinel
  • WCMRC – Sentinel 32
  • WCMRC – Sentinel 33
  • WCMRC – SNRC Hydra
  • (Strategic) – Drone on board

Equipment:

  • Current Buster 2 (NOFI) – Anchored in “Helipad Bay”
  • Triton 20 Skimmer – on CGE 668
  • WCMRC – Boom – Currently deployed: 18,100 ft; Zoom Boom being repurposed / GRS: 9250 ft; Sweep: 150 ft; Deflection: 1550 ft
  • Storage Cube
  • Forklift