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Active marine oil slick near Nootka Sound tied to historic 1968 Bligh Island shipwreck Sea otter, heron treated as team battles active oil slick near Nootka Sound Animals found covered in oil, response team looking at rehabilitation options...Continue reading

VICTORIA -- Federal officials say emergency response crews will work through the holidays to try to contain an oil spill from a historic shipwreck off the west coast of Vancouver Island. The coast guard says it is still working to confirm just how much fuel oil was on board the Holland America freighter when it ran aground in Nootka Sound and sank in January 1968. The 150-metre MV Schiedyk was carrying thousands of tonnes of wood pulp and barley bound for Portland, Ore. when...Continue reading

Thinking the Unthinkable: How Prepared is Canada for an Oil Spill? Tue, December 8, 2020, 8:51 AM PST2 min read Despite a drop in marine oil spills worldwide due to improved safety measures, the Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping’s (Clear Seas) latest public opinion survey shows that spills in Canadian waters from tankers and ship fuel tops the concerns of Canadians. Catastrophic events such as the recent oil spill off the coast of Mauritius also raise questio...ns about Canada’s ability to clean up oil spills and how to protect the marine environment and coastal communities. To answer these questions, a new webpage explaining what happens when oil spills from a ship in Canadian waters has been released by Clear Seas. This first-of-its-kind webpage provides a comprehensive inventory of the resources in place to respond to a marine oil spill. It also breaks down the response sequence and the organizations that are involved in and responsible for containing and cleaning up a spill. "First and foremost, while oil spills can and do happen in Canada, they are extremely rare. And fortunately, Canada has an extensive and proactive system in place that will help the clean-up and minimize damage from a spill," says Paul Blomerus, Executive Director of Clear Seas. The spills that do happen in Canada are mostly small (67% of ship-source spills between 2003-2012 were under 1,000 litres), originating from fishing boats and pleasure craft or classed as mystery spills. Blomerus says that given the concerns Canadians have around shipping oil and gas by ship expressed in the latest Clear Seas survey, the page will be a timely addition to the public policy discussion around oil spill response and setting response standards. ABOUT CLEAR SEAS Clear Seas is a not-for-profit independent research centre that provides impartial information on marine shipping in Canada to policy makers and the public. The organization’s research agenda is defined internally in response to current issues, reviewed by a research advisory committee, and approved by a board of directors. Reports and findings are available at clearseas.org Contacts Media: Edward Downing Director of Communications Tel.: (604) 408-1648 ext. 106 or cell (604) 817-3058 [email protected] See more

Oil spill response base taking shape on Saanich Peninsula Enhanced base with elements in North Saanich and Sidney to be fully operational in fall 2022 WOLF DEPNER Plans call for the enhanced base to be fully operational by the late fall of 2022 with eight vessels and about 24 staff available 24-7. Four vessels are already operating out of the marina.... Funded by the oil and marine industry and subject to federal oversight, WCMRC operates under federal law requiring polluters to pay. The Sidney-North Saanich base will be one of several new bases along tanker shipping routes to and from Vancouver as the WCMRC is also building bases in Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Beecher Bay, Vancouver Harbour and Fraser River. The expansion valued at $150 million (with $4 million coming to Saanich Peninsula) will see WCMRC almost double its fleet from 44 vessels to 90 and its employees to 200. WCMRC chose Sidney and North Saanich for very strategic reasons with all bases stationed in locations based on the risk of spills. There are spots on those shipping lanes that are at slightly higher risk, For example, where the shipping lanes intersect with ferry traffic, where they have to make certain turns. Those are areas that we have looked at. When you look at risk, you also look at the consequence side of it as well. So if you are looking at the Sidney base, it’s right where the Gulf Islands are. So we want to be able to respond very quickly to any incidents in the Gulf Islands. This map shows the enhanced marine spill response bases operated by Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) (WCMRC/Submitted)

New report assesses B.C. coast’s oil spill sensitivity, and it’s high A little bit of oil in a very sensitive area can have big impact. It’s worth being concerned about. In a report released Oct. 6, non-profit research centre Clear Seas has identified several areas on B.C.’s coast as very high sensitivity to oil spill impacts. The report does not predict probability of a spill, but looked at how a spill of any size would impact the area....Continue reading

Scientists created autonomous robots, special sponges, and magnetic soap to tackle oil spills, which usually take months or years to clean up. Vikas Nandwana, a Ph. D. student, and Vinayak Dravid, a professor at the Northwestern University of Illinois, claimed that their latest invention could answer clean oil spillages in the oceans. "As long as fossil fuels are still in circulation, there will always be oil spills," said the professor. "We wanted to create a technology wh...ich can make cleaning oil spillages much easier and, more importantly, much cleaner and safer for the environment," he added. The two researchers developed a special sponge that could separate the oil found in the ocean water. They covered the sponge with a carbon-based surface and magnetic nanostructures coating. This magnetic sponge could selectively soak up oil spills and resists water. It works by binding to the oil molecules, storing and capturing the oil until a person picks it up and squeeze the harmful substance out. The innovation could absorb more than 30 times its weight in oil. The magnetic sponge only releases 1% of captured oil during strong waves The researchers conducted an experiment to mimic the natural waves of the ocean. They put the sponged on a "shaker" submerged in water. It only released less than 1% of the oil it had absorbed, even after vigorous shaking. This means that the special sponge could retain most of the oil it captures even if strong waves arrive. Dravid claims that their invention could help save the flora and fauna corals on Mauritius' shores. He also said that the sponge's biggest advantage is how it can be made into balls to be left in a soil pit or oil-laden sand. This design would allow it to absorb the oil in days, and it could also be reused. On the other hand, Nandwana said that innovation is just like a "Swiss army knife." The researcher explained that the magnetic sponge is a "nanoscale solution" to a "gigaton problem." He added that the oil recovered using the invention could be sold back to the one responsible for the oil spill. They hope that their new invention could also be recycled and used as an electrode for lithium-ion batteries. See more

Robots and magnetic soap: scientists rethink oil spill clean-ups Incidents such as tanker stranding in Mauritius stress need for quick and effective solutions. Self-driving navigating robots may be another solution. Carlo Ratti, the director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, pioneered the Sea Swarm robot in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This technology was conceived to be deployed anywhere it was needed in oceans, rivers, or seas. It’s mostly useful in deltas a...nd zigzagging coastlines where most of the other technologies fail, Ratti said. We all need to be accountable for the environment. Some accidents are still bound to occur, so we still need to develop mitigation or cleaning strategies. The robot can hold up to 20 times its weight in oil. It works as a fleet or swarm of vehicles communicating their location through GPS. Each robot consists of a head covered by a layer of photovoltaic cells and a conveyor belt covered with tiny wires. The cells generate enough electricity to propel the vehicles forward for several weeks at a time. As the head moves through the water, the conveyor belt constantly rotates and sucks up pollution, Ratti said. The nanowire-covered belt is then compressed to remove the oil. As the clean part of the belt comes out of the head, it immediately begins absorbing oil, making the collection process seamless. After each use, the fabric can be heated to remove the oil. Once the oil is removed, the nanowire mesh can be recycled again and again. In terms of end of life, they are trackable, so they can be collected and disposed of. Sea Swarm uses a photovoltaic powered conveyor belt made of a thin nanowire mesh to propel itself and collect oil. Photograph: Courtesy of Seaswarm See more

After nearly 15 years of failed attempts, officials had all but given up on trying to contain longest offshore oil spill in U.S. history a gusher that had been seeping into the Gulf of Mexico from a Taylor Energy production platform destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Timmy Couvillion Owner, CEO, President Couvillion Group Then Timmy Couvillion stepped in....Continue reading

With the changing of the seasons bring cooler weather many people will begin using their home heating sources again, and commonly that is an oil furnace. Home heating oil tanks are mostly commonly located above ground (outside or in the basement). As homeowners start filling oil tanks for the upcoming colder temperatures, spills or leaks become more common although they can occur any time. When released indoors, heating oil can damage both a home and its contents and cause he...alth problems. When released to the environment, heating oil can pollute water supplies, contaminate soils and expose the tank owner to liability if neighboring properties are affected by the release. Heating oil releases can be expensive to clean up. But with proper tank management, spills and leaks can be avoided. The best way to minimize the effects and costs of heating oil releases is to prevent them from occurring. Routine inspections, maintenance and repairs are the keys to prevention. Some tips: Routinely inspect the exterior of any tank located above ground and all attached equipment. Some things to look for are the tank legs unstable or deteriorating. Other signs include signs of rust, weeps, wet spots or dents or damage on the tank’s surface. Drips or sign of leakage around the filter or any piping and the use of more oil than normal are other signs. Another easy tip is to make sure the tank address is clearly visible and the fill line is clearly marked. If you do discover a leak, consider calling your local fire company to assist with containment of the spill; identify the source of the release; stop and contain the release; begin cleanup and keep detailed and accurate records. Consider buying a low cost spill kit that contains a leak stop product.

Venezuela’s broken oil industry is spewing crude into the Caribbean Sea The FSO Nabarima, laden with 1.3 million barrels of oil, is taking on water in the Gulf of Paria between Venezuela and Trinidad, as seen in this Sept. 16 satellite image. The FSO Nabarima, laden with 1.3 million barrels of oil, is taking on water in the Gulf of Paria between Venezuela and Trinidad, as seen in this Sept. 16 satellite image. (Maxar Technologies) By Mariana Zúñiga and Anthony Faiola...Continue reading