OLD MASSETT, B.C. — A Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel was drifting without power in rough seas off British Columbia’s northern coast Friday, a scenario a nearby First Nation community described as its “worst fear.”
The Canadian Forces’ joint rescue coordination center in Victoria said the Russian carrier Simushir lost power late Thursday night off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it was making 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 Council of the Haida Nation, however, warned the ship could run aground by Friday evening.
Haida Nation President Pete Lantin said another 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,” Lantin said.
Acting Canadian Sub. Lt. Ron MacDougall said the Simushir, which is about 440 feet 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.
Lantin said he expected the ship to spill all its fuel and mining chemicals onto the pristine shoreline his people have worked to protect for decades. About 5,000 people live on the island and fish for food nearby, he said.
“We do feel helpless,” Lantin said. “We expect a catastrophic event and a huge disaster on our hands.”
The Haida Nation has been vocal among the fierce opposition to a proposal to build a pipeline that would carry oil from Canada’s Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast for shipment to Asia. The project would bring about 220 large oil tankers a year to the province’s coast.
Fear of oil spills is especially acute in British Columbia, where residents remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989.
The ship had 11 crew members on board, though a Cormorant helicopter was dispatched to rescue the captain, who was injured.
MacDougall didn’t know the nature of the captain’s injuries or what caused them.
The Canadian Coast Guard ship Gordon Reid was heading to the area and was expected to arrive Friday afternoon. A tugboat from Prince Rupert, on the northern B.C. coast, was expected to arrive by early this morning.
In addition, the United States Coast Guard had a helicopter on standby in the event that the entire crew needed to be removed from the ship.
Numerous federal and provincial agencies were involved coordinating the response, including the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Transport Canada and B.C.’s Environment Ministry. Western Canada Marine Response Corp., which is contracted by the federal government for oil spill response, said it had been notified and crews were on standby.
Rough weather was also a concern. MacDougall said there were winds of almost 18 miles per hour with high seas, though he said that was expected to ease up as the day progressed. Environment Canada had issued a storm warning for much of the northern coast, including the area around Haida Gwaii.
The Council of the Haida Nation issued a Friday afternoon statement that warned the ship could run aground within nine hours.
“The Haida Nation’s worst fear is coming true,” Haida president Peter Lantin said.
The statement said the council set up an emergency command center in Old Massett, located on the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, in the event the vessel runs aground.
