Vancouver's "World Class" Oil Spill Response

[easter bunny]

Marathassa:



Hour 1: This isn't happening. We're a grain ship. We don't do oil spills.

Hour 2: Try turning the shutoff valve. Has it stopped yet?  

Hour 3: Don't worry. It's not going to spread. No one will ever know.

Hour 4: It's spreading. We need to get out of here before someone sees it.

Hour 5: We have to call for help. We can't. They'll know it was us.

Hour 6: It's following us. We're screwed.



*calls coast guard



Coast guard:



Hour 7: This isn't happening. We're in Vancouver. We don't get oil spills here.

Hour 8: Did you try the shutoff valve? Has it stopped yet?  

Hour 9: Don't worry. It's not going to spread. No one will ever know.

Hour 10: It's spreading? We need to clean it up before someone sees it.

Hour 11: We have to call Victoria. We can't. People will know there's a spill.

Hour 12: It's already made it to the beach. We're screwed.



*calls Victoria

 

Provincial government:



Hour 13: This isn't happening. You're in Vancouver. You don't get oil spills there.

Hour 14: Don't worry. It's not going to spread. No one will ever know.

Hour 15: You need to clean it up before someone sees it.

Hour 16: It's already in the news? We're screwed. Who can we blame?

[Romero]

Good stuff, easter!



I took the spill lightly and even jokingly when I first heard about it. It's just a little fuel spill. We're taking care of it.



Then only minutes later did I look into it and found out that it took 16 hours to report and 6 hours to contain. Um, didn't we used to have a Coast Guard station to deal with this?



Just a little fuel spill, yet exactly how you described. People pretending there's nothing wrong as if they're trying to hide a wine stain on a rug.

[easter bunny]

Thanks! =)) It's the same story every time. It's become so predictable it's almost comical!

[cc]

Then only minutes later did I look into it and found out that it took 16 hours to report and 6 hours to contain.

Just followed it on the National. Those "early rumor" times were  "early rumors"

Um, didn't we used to have a Coast Guard station to deal with this?

Um, NO!! We didn't. We had air / sea rescue in Vic ... used to.



However. Well put bunny. If ...  when something big comes along, we are screwed.

[Anonymous]

The spill itself was very minor in nature, all things considered (I KNOW what all leaks into the waters 24/7).



However, the response time certainly leaves much to be desired...

[Anonymous]

Then only minutes later did I look into it and found out that it took 16 hours to report and 6 hours to contain.

Just followed it on the National. Those "early rumor" times were  "early rumors"

Um, didn't we used to have a Coast Guard station to deal with this?

Um, NO!! We didn't. We had air / sea rescue in Vic ... used to.



However. Well put bunny. If ...  when something big comes along, we are screwed.

The wait times were exaggerated. by the city of Vancouver and the province of BC,  The Coast Guard station that was closed down apparently was for search and rescue, so it would have made no difference.



I cannot believe the premier of BC saying Canada does not have world clsss response. Canada is second rate in nothing. She should be ashamed of herself.

[Romero]

The wait times were exaggerated. by the city of Vancouver and the province of BC,  The Coast Guard station that was closed down apparently was for search and rescue, so it would have made no difference.

Hmm, according to the timeline the Province was notified immediately but the City wasn't until the next morning.





http://bc.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.2319863!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg">



And I've read that the Kits Coast Guard station did have a 24/7 vessel and crew to deal with spills.

Former Kitsilano Coast Guard base commander Fred Moxey told CKNW a single rubber boat was deployed on Wednesday night as Richmond's hovercraft is not able to travel on an oil slick. But the Kitsilano base, if it were still operational, would have been able to respond to the incident in six minutes and with the proper equipment to contain a spill from spreading across the water and onto the shoreline.



The former base possessed a conventional vessel capable of responding to an oil spill, but the vessel was stripped for parts and sold after the base shuttered its operations.



http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/04/now-closed-kitsilano-coast-guard-base-responded-oil-spill-instantly/">//http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/04/now-closed-kitsilano-coast-guard-base-responded-oil-spill-instantly/

In a video interview with the former commander, he says the decommissioned vessel had a containment boom, internal oil storage tanks, skimmers and oil pads. He believes the spill would have been contained immediately.

[easter bunny]

The way it is now there's a huge incentive to deny and to cover things up. As long as that's the case we will continue to see the same pattern of behavior whether it be an oil spill or contaminated beef. The system has to change.

[Anonymous]

In a couple of days over 2 tonnes of oil is now down to less than half a litre. That shit is designed to float too. Great work guys. ac_drinks



However, I read the Coast Guard has sophisticated communications and top notch protocols. If there was any delay it is the result of employees not following the rules. It is the same reason the Marathassa lost it's fuel in the first place. It doesn't matter if it is derailments, bridges/buildings collapsing or trucks carrying dangerous goods crashing.  Only people who do not understand industry(like that idiot Robertson) don't understand this.



Roger Girouard, assistant commissioner for the western region of the Canadian Coast Guard, rejected suggestions the 2013 closure of the Kitsilano Coast Guard base hampered the response. Kitsilano was a search and rescue station with only 100 metres of boom material available, and it took more than 400 metres of boom to contain the Marathassa, a new freighter on its first voyage.