Clean-up work on the Squamish Estuary continued this week as heavy equipment was used to remove remnants from last summer's oil spill by the Westwood Anette.
The excavation last Tuesday (June 5) removed small patties of bunker seed oil - each approximately palm-sized - from a small area of the estuary on the east side of the terminals.
"There [was] a small area, less than five metres in diameter, where there [was] high concentration of the bunker seed oil deposits," said Kevin Larsen, managing area director for the Ministry of the Environment.
Gearbulk Shipping, the owners of the Westwood Anette responsible for clean-up, arranged the excavation after consulting with the Ministry of the Environment, Environment Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Coast Guard, The Squamish Nation, the District of Squamish, and Squamish Terminals, said Larsen.
"All the agencies involved have had the opportunity to comment prior to the work," said Larsen.
"This was the responsible party's initiative."
The excavation dug approximately 10 inches into the surface of the estuary in an area that is only accessible during low tide."It didn't take very long," said Scott Wright, area manager for Burrard Clean Operations, which oversaw the project. "It was a really small area. We were finished in about two hours."
Some concerns had been raised that the excavation could disturb mercury in the area that was left over from the former Nexen site.
However, the area that was worked on did not have high mercury levels, said Larsen.
"It's my understanding that the highest concentration of mercury is further along the estuary in the Nexen Beach area," said Larsen.
Wright added that what little mercury could be in the area, would be below the point they excavated to.
The deposits of oil were created when the Westwood Anette collided with a moorage piling last August, spilling oil into the Howe Sound in the process, with the fuel eventually washing ashore in the estuary.
