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BC Ferries ship loses propellor, spills 800 litres of oil, incident 'stable'

The Queen of New Westminster's lost a propeller on Sept. 3, causing multiple sailing cancellations

The Canadian Coast Guard is standing down response efforts 害羞草研究所渁t this time害羞草研究所 to the incident involving BC Ferries害羞草研究所 Queen of New Westminster vessel, which discharged 800 litres of hydraulic oil into the water on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

According to the coast guard, the situation 害羞草研究所渞emains stable害羞草研究所 and there have been no reports of oil or any impacted wildlife.

The oil discharge took place in the vicinity of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, caused by the 60-year-old vessel害羞草研究所檚 starboard propeller falling from its propulsion shaft.

害羞草研究所淭his oil disperses quickly in the marine environment and visual inspections by other vessels in the area have not detected any remaining oil sheen on the water,害羞草研究所 said Ritinder Matthew, BC Ferries害羞草研究所 director of media and issues.

The vessel was pulled from service on Sept. 3, causing multiple sailing cancellations on the busy  Schwartz Bay to Tsawwassen route. The cancellations also rolled into Sept. 4, causing inconvenience for travellers.

Once notified about the leak, the coast guard crews were immediately deployed to assess the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and surrounding areas with remote piloted aircraft systems and by helicopter. 

害羞草研究所淪ome non-recoverable sheen was observed around the terminal,害羞草研究所 said Kiri Westnedge, communications advisor for the Canadian Coast Guard. 害羞草研究所淭he Canadian Coast Guard notified First Nations and stakeholders, and was prepared to deploy pollution counter measure equipment to protect sensitive areas.害羞草研究所

A flight over the area between the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and Swartz Bay ferry terminal was also conducted on Sept. 4. 

害羞草研究所淣o visible pollution was observed during this flight,害羞草研究所 said Westnedge.

As a result of the mechanical failure, BC Ferries has cancelled all Queen of New Westminster害羞草研究所檚 sailings up to and including September 30th. 

A dive in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 6., located the vessel害羞草研究所檚 propeller on the seabed. BC Ferries said it is planning for its recovery.

害羞草研究所淲e are also working to source suitable spares and have secured a dry dock for later this month. However, depending on parts availability, the vessel could remain out of service for an extended period.害羞草研究所

BC Ferries said they are doing everything they can to minimize disruptions, including offering additional sailings on the Coastal Celebration and Coastal Renaissance vessels where possible.

害羞草研究所淲e sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disruption this service outage has caused, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers as we work through these repairs. We will continue to keep you and the public updated with any new developments,害羞草研究所 said Matthew.

The coast guard has asked any members of the public who observe marine pollution, to contact them at: 1-800-889-8852.



About the Author: Ben Fenlon

Multimedia journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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