The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) told the Globe and Mail this week that there was little investigation into the Aug. 5 Squamish Terminals accident that led to 29,000 litres of oil spilling into the Squamish Estuary.
The TSB halted the investigation shortly after the incident, when it was decided that an inquiry would have no long-term safety benefit to Canada's transportation system. The District of Squamish was one of a number of local groups under the impression that an investigation was on-going.
"Its another example of the local government not being kept in the loop," said Coun. Patricia Heintzman.
On March 27, a stakeholders meeting with representatives from Environment Canada, the BC Ministry of Environment and Kristian Gerhard Jebsen, parent company of Westwood Anette owners Gearbulk, was held at Totem Hall. And even the representatives were under the impression that an investigation was on going until they were told otherwise.
Mario Ramirez-Gaston, fleet manager for Kristian Gerhard Jebsen, and Greg Challenger of Polaris Applied Sciences, who is working with the ship owner on environmental studies, both contend that while an investigation by TSB may not be on-going impact assessment will continue.
"We understand that there are still some concerns that there is still oil in the area," said Challenger. "However, next year when you go out there you'll have to dig harder to find oil, and the next year you'll have to dig even harder to find oil."As for how long clean up will continue, Challenger said that would depend on the results.
"You clean up to the point where you're not getting any net environmental benefit collectively. You do as much as you can but there comes a point where putting more people into an environmentally sensitive area causes more damage to areas like a marsh than it benefits it."
Ramirez-Gaston, who flew in from Brazil for the meeting, acknowledged that there has been some confusion over his company's decision to reserve the right to appeal an abatement order from the provincial government. However, Ramirez-Gaston said that the appeal has more to do with legal nuances than their commitment to clean up of the site.
"The abatement order was imposed on us by the Ministry of the environment, and that is part of their jurisdiction," said Ramirez-Gaston. "However, we have reserved our right to appeal that."
"Having said that, we have complied with the abatement. Irrespective of it we are still engaged in monitoring the situation, and regardless of what happens from the legality aspect nothing will change in regards to the monitoring process we have in place. We have decided to remain very much involved."
While the open house was well attended by stakeholder groups, few members of the public were on hand, if fewer than a dozen residents showing up. One reason for the low turnout may have been the timing of the meeting, which coincided with a council meeting.
"We're disappointed that they scheduled it for a Tuesday night, a meeting night," said Sutherland, who noted it was another example of the local government not being properly consulted with.
The following week, on Tuesday (April 3), MP Blair Wilson vowed to head back to Ottawa with a gift for Environment Minister John Baird - a bottle of sludge.
The bottle contains remnants of the oil spill, collected on the same morning by Heintzman along the shore of the Squamish Estuary and presented to Wilson during council's strategy session.
"Just being downwind of that bottle is making me light headed," said Wilson, prior to promising to deliver it to Baird during a session of Parliament.
