OLD MASSETT, British Columbia — A Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel was drifting without power in rough seas off British Columbia’s pristine, northern coast Friday, raising fears it could run aground and cause a spill.
The Canadian Forces’ joint rescue coordination center said the Russian carrier Simushir lost power late Thursday night off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Washington state to Russia.
Canadian Navy Lt. Paul Penderghast said the ship was drifting nine nautical miles from shore, though he said it was largely maintaining that position.
“It is drifting, but it’s drifting parallel to shore,” Penderghast said.
The fear of oil spills is especially acute in British Columbia, where residents remember the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. Such worries have fed fierce opposition — particularly from environmentalists and Canada’s native tribes — to a current proposal to build a pipeline that would carry oil from Canada’s Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast for shipment to Asia. Opponents say the proposed pipeline would bring about 220 large oil tankers a year to the province’s coast.
The president of the Council of the Haida Nation, warned that a storm coming into the area was expected to push the ship onto the rocky shore.
“If it hits where it’s going to hit, this ship is going to be torn apart,” Pete Lantin said. “We expect a catastrophic event and a huge disaster on our hands.”
About 5,000 people live on the island and fish for food nearby, Lantin said.
Acting Canadian Sub. Lt. Ron MacDougall said the Simushir, which is about 440 feet (135 meters) long, was carrying “a range of hydrocarbons, mining materials and other related chemicals.” That included 400 tons of bunker oil and 50 tons of diesel.
The vessel is not a tanker but rather a container ship. In comparison, the Exxon Valdez, spilled out 35,000 metric tons of oil.
A ship from the Canadian Coast Guard was expected to reach the area on Friday afternoon. A tugboat from nearby Prince Rupert, on the northern B.C. coast, was expected to reach the container ship by early Saturday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard had a helicopter on standby in the event that the entire crew needed to be pulled off the ship.
Rough weather was a concern. MacDougall said there were 18-mph (29-kph) winds with high seas. Environment Canada had issued a storm warning for much of the northern coast, including the area around Haida Gwaii.
The Haida Nation said it had set up an emergency command center in Old Massett, located on the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, in case the vessel runs aground.
The Simushir is registered in Kholmsk, Russia, and owned by Russian shipping firm SASCO, also known as Sakhalin Shipping Company, according to the company’s website.
The SASCO website says the ship was built in the Netherlands in 1998.
BC-US—Ship Adrift, 3rd Ld-Writethru,482
Container ship adrift off British Columbia coast
AP Photo DND201, DND205, DND204
OLD MASSETT, British Columbia — A Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel was drifting without power in rough seas off British Columbia’s pristine, northern coast Friday, raising fears it could run aground and cause a spill.
The Canadian Forces’ joint rescue coordination center said the Russian carrier Simushir lost power late Thursday night off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Washington state to Russia.
Canadian Navy Lt. Paul Penderghast said the ship was drifting nine nautical miles from shore, though he said it was largely maintaining that position.
“It is drifting, but it’s drifting parallel to shore,” Penderghast said.
The fear of oil spills is especially acute in British Columbia, where residents remember the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. Such worries have fed fierce opposition — particularly from environmentalists and Canada’s native tribes — to a current proposal to build a pipeline that would carry oil from Canada’s Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast for shipment to Asia. Opponents say the proposed pipeline would bring about 220 large oil tankers a year to the province’s coast.
The president of the Council of the Haida Nation, warned that a storm coming into the area was expected to push the ship onto the rocky shore.
“If it hits where it’s going to hit, this ship is going to be torn apart,” Pete Lantin said. “We expect a catastrophic event and a huge disaster on our hands.”
About 5,000 people live on the island and fish for food nearby, Lantin said.
Acting Canadian Sub. Lt. Ron MacDougall said the Simushir, which is about 440 feet (135 meters) long, was carrying “a range of hydrocarbons, mining materials and other related chemicals.” That included 400 tons of bunker oil and 50 tons of diesel.
The vessel is not a tanker but rather a container ship. In comparison, the Exxon Valdez, spilled out 35,000 metric tons of oil.
A ship from the Canadian Coast Guard was expected to reach the area on Friday afternoon. A tugboat from nearby Prince Rupert, on the northern B.C. coast, was expected to reach the container ship by early Saturday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard had a helicopter on standby in the event that the entire crew needed to be pulled off the ship.
Rough weather was a concern. MacDougall said there were 18-mph (29-kph) winds with high seas. Environment Canada had issued a storm warning for much of the northern coast, including the area around Haida Gwaii.
The Haida Nation said it had set up an emergency command center in Old Massett, located on the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, in case the vessel runs aground.
The Simushir is registered in Kholmsk, Russia, and owned by Russian shipping firm SASCO, also known as Sakhalin Shipping Company, according to the company’s website.
The SASCO website says the ship was built in the Netherlands in 1998.
BC-US—Ship Adrift, 3rd Ld-Writethru,482
Container ship adrift off British Columbia coast
AP Photo DND201, DND205, DND204
OLD MASSETT, British Columbia — A Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel was drifting without power in rough seas off British Columbia’s pristine, northern coast Friday, raising fears it could run aground and cause a spill.
The Canadian Forces’ joint rescue coordination center said the Russian carrier Simushir lost power late Thursday night off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Washington state to Russia.
Canadian Navy Lt. Paul Penderghast said the ship was drifting nine nautical miles from shore, though he said it was largely maintaining that position.
“It is drifting, but it’s drifting parallel to shore,” Penderghast said.
The fear of oil spills is especially acute in British Columbia, where residents remember the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. Such worries have fed fierce opposition — particularly from environmentalists and Canada’s native tribes — to a current proposal to build a pipeline that would carry oil from Canada’s Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast for shipment to Asia. Opponents say the proposed pipeline would bring about 220 large oil tankers a year to the province’s coast.
The president of the Council of the Haida Nation, warned that a storm coming into the area was expected to push the ship onto the rocky shore.
“If it hits where it’s going to hit, this ship is going to be torn apart,” Pete Lantin said. “We expect a catastrophic event and a huge disaster on our hands.”
About 5,000 people live on the island and fish for food nearby, Lantin said.
Acting Canadian Sub. Lt. Ron MacDougall said the Simushir, which is about 440 feet (135 meters) long, was carrying “a range of hydrocarbons, mining materials and other related chemicals.” That included 400 tons of bunker oil and 50 tons of diesel.
The vessel is not a tanker but rather a container ship. In comparison, the Exxon Valdez, spilled out 35,000 metric tons of oil.
A ship from the Canadian Coast Guard was expected to reach the area on Friday afternoon. A tugboat from nearby Prince Rupert, on the northern B.C. coast, was expected to reach the container ship by early Saturday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard had a helicopter on standby in the event that the entire crew needed to be pulled off the ship.
Rough weather was a concern. MacDougall said there were 18-mph (29-kph) winds with high seas. Environment Canada had issued a storm warning for much of the northern coast, including the area around Haida Gwaii.
The Haida Nation said it had set up an emergency command center in Old Massett, located on the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, in case the vessel runs aground.
The Simushir is registered in Kholmsk, Russia, and owned by Russian shipping firm SASCO, also known as Sakhalin Shipping Company, according to the company’s website.
The SASCO website says the ship was built in the Netherlands in 1998.
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