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Oil spill task force report released
Marine Pollution Bulletin
1989, a Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund (SOPF) was established to succeed the Maritime Pollution Claims Fund (MPCF). This involved the transfer of about S150 m from the MPCF to the SOPF. Claims to a maximum of $105.5 m may be paid by SOPF for any incident of oil pollution damage or anticipated damage at any place in Canada or in Canadian waters caused by the discharge from a ship. Areas where the Arctic Water Pollution Prevention Act applies are an exception, and in this case SOPF is only liable for oil spills from laden oil tankers. The classes of claims for which SOPF may be liable are: 1. non-public authority claims for oil pollution damages; 2. public authority claims for costs and expenses of oil spill cleanup, including preventive measures; 3. claims for oil pollution damage where the identity of the ship that caused the damage cannot be established; and 4. claims by persons in the fishing industry for loss of income.
Bumper Salmon Catch After Oil Spill Hundreds of seine and gill netting fishermen are setting new catch records for pink salmon in Prince William Sound only 18 months after the large oil spill from the Exxon Valdez. Estimates already put the potential catch at well over 30 million fish, beating the previous record of 29 million. In August last year there was no fishing in Prince William Sound due to the heavy contamination by the crude oil. The catch this August comes from fish which were newly hatched during the spill, as unlike many other species of Pacific salmon, pink salmon spend a relatively short time in the sea, only 15 or 16 months before returning to breed. In the past, Prince William Sound's fishing has been subject to cyclical, natural conditions which have frequently decimated the fish population but recovery has quickly occurred. However, from the start, there was considerable concern and disagreement about the possible effects of the oil spill on fish stocks. Some scientists claimed that even minute quantities of oil would poison young fish, while others stated that the toxic compounds would evaporate quickly and the fish would not be affected. Explanations are now being sought to help in understanding why such record numbers of fish should now be found in the Sound. Even the hatchery-produced fish are returning (to their release sites), at a rate of 7%, 2% higher than that in previous years. Immediately after the spill there was a rare period of dry sunny weather which sparked off an extensive and prolonged plankton bloom providing plenty of food for the emerging salmon fry. It has also been suggested that the fertilizing action of the oil helped to prolong this bloom. Another possible link with the oil spill could have been the large death toll of diving birds which normally feed off the salmon fry. The removal of these birds would have led to a higher than normal survival rate for the salmon. Speculation continues but to the fishermen of Prince William Sound, after the concern over the effect of the 462
oil on the fish population, there is much relief at the bumper crop. PHILIPPA AMBROSE
Land-locked Salmon Die in Large Numbers In early July 1990, up to 12 000 dead kokanee (landlocked sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka) were found washed up on the shore of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. Preliminary laboratory analysis pinpointed no specific cause for the fish kill, but it was believed that a virus causing a condition known as infectious haematopoetic necrosis might have played a role in the fish deaths. Christopher Bull, a provincial fisheries biologist, noted that the deaths followed heavy rains and speculated that the stress caused by rapid water temperature changes might have combined with the effect of the virus to cause the fish mortality. A third factor which may have contributed to the mortality was the age of the fish. All dead kokanee in Okanagan Lake and in other lakes were 2 years old. Similar die-offs of kokanee were recorded in Okanagan Lake during the past three summers, with the biggest kill of 100 000 kokanee occurring in 1988. The toll in 1989 was 50 000 fish. The kokanee population in Okanagan Lake is estimated at 18 million.
Mysterious Starfish Mortality near Powell River, British Columbia Hundreds of dead starfish were found on a stretch of shoreline near Powell River on the Strait of Georgia during the latter part of June 1990. They were discovered for the first time on 23 June by Nurse Rosemary Moran, whose waterfront home overlooks the affected beach. She reported seeing hundreds of dead starfish, noting that: "They were dead and on their backs, and they were white and pink and some of them were just mush7 She said that crabs were feeding on the remains of many of the echinoderms and that worried her. Ms. Moran added, "We saw a lot of dead crabs too, but I don't know if it's more than usual or not. We're not sure, but the larger crabs seem to be dying'.' She said that no shoreline scavenging birds, such as seagulls or ravens appeared to be eating the carcasses littering the low tideline from Scuttle Bay to Atrevida Reef, a distance of more than 2 kin. A research scientist at the Nanaimo Biological Station stated that such mass deaths are uncommon (but see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21, 222). She noted that a mortality incident involving a pulpmill spill near Nanaimo about 40 years ago was the only similar occurrence she had heard about. Although there is a large pulpmill at Powell River, it was believed that a toxicant from the mill would not have been responsible for the mortality in this case because only starfish were affected.
Oil Spill Task Force Report Released The States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force released its draft final report on 3 July 1990 for public comment. Comments were due by 18 July. The report is
Volume 21/Number 10/October 1990
comprehensive. Issues ranging from the design of ships to the management of vessel traffic are addressed. The focus of the report is largely on prevention of oil spills rather than response to spills. The task force was created by the province of British Columbia and the state of Washington following the Nestucca oil spill off the southwest coast of Washington in December 1988. The purpose of the task force was to address spill prevention, response and contingency plans. The states of Alaska, Oregon and California joined the task force after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, during March 1989. Recommendations of the task force cover 10 areas related to marine oil spills: 1. vessel traffic reduction; 2. vessel traffic management; 3. vessel design; 4. personnel; 5. enforcement, penalties, and liability; 6. regulatory oversight; Z education; 8. spill response enhancement; 9. research; and 10. next steps for the task force. More site specific recommendations for each of the states and British Columbia are included in the report. The task force reviewed existing studies related ~3 oil spill prevention and response and carried out new studies, where necessary, in developing the report.
Deep Cove and Wreck Beaches Closed to Swimmers Again Panorama Beach at Deep Cove, in the southern end of Indian Arm, north of Vancouver, British Columbia, was posted with signs on 4 July 1990 warning people that swimming or wading is unsafe when the faecal coliform count had reached an MPN (most probable number) of 274 per 100 ml on 25 June. The faecal coliform count had reached by 20 July 548 per 100 ml. A count of 200 or more is considered unsafe for bathing. A consultant's report to the council of the District of North Vancouver last summer blamed the contamination in Deep Cove on urban runoff, dog faeces and boaters who flush their sewage into the waters. Routine testing for faecal coliforms is conducted weekly at 15 locations on beaches of the lower Mainland of British Columbia. In recent years, all beaches have shown faecal coliform counts lower than 200, except for Panorama Beach. This year, Wreck Beach, adjacent to the North Arm of the Fraser River gave a faecal coliform count at one of its component beaches (Oasis Beach) of 224 on 29 June. Testing of Wreck Beach's other four areas revealed coliform counts below 100. Wreck Beach repeatedly exhibited high faecal coliform counts until a deep outfall was installed for the lona Island Sewage Treatment Plant, located on the North Arm of the Fraser River, in April 1988. This year's high count at Oasis Beach was attributed to its proximity to the Fraser River and the fact that heavy rains and large runoff from the river continually contaminated the beach. Faecal coliform counts of 800-900 in the river water are commonplace.
Arctic Oil Spill Report Critical of Lack of Cleanup Plans The Environmental Impact Review Board, formed in 1984 as part of a land claim agreement between the
Canadian federal government and native groups in the Western Arctic, reviewed a Gulf Canada proposal to drill a series of Beaufort Sea wells over the next three years. In its 82-page report, the Board found that "There is a startling lack of preparedness evident on the part of the government and on the part of Gulf to deal with a major well blowout . . ? After operating in the Beaufort Sea for seven years, Gulf Canada was noted to have never formed a plan for cleaning up a shoreline oil spill. It was recommended that Gulf's proposal be denied until a great deal more preparation is done. However, this was only a recommendation, and the regulatory bodies involved can approve the drilling without necessarily paying regard to the legitimate and broad concerns raised in the review.
More Oil in US Waters The tank barge SFI-33 was damaged amidships while loading a cargo of high sulphur NO6 oil at Lyondell Petrochemical Dock, Houston, releasing around 100 t of the fuel oil into the Houston ship channel on 12 August. Apparently, the middle two of four tanks on the barge were loaded first, causing the barge to buckle and touch bottom. The result was a fracture on the starboard side of almost 1 m long, with a smaller hole on the port side. The owners of the tank barge, Ingrain Barge Co. do not accept responsibility for the spill itself but are taking on financial obligations for the clean up. Because the oil is settling into the sand at the bottom of the channel, it is thought that the clean-up may be quite a lengthy process. It is unlikely that the spill will have a great impact on the marine life in the immediate vicinity since the accident happened in the docks, close to an existing chemical plant where the fauna is already improverished. Another spill of oil took place a few days later in Delaware Bay when the tank barge Ocean 192 collided with the tanker Faith I. The collision ruptured a cargo tank on the barge loaded with 2000 t of petroleum spilling about a quarter of its contents into the bay. The tanker, sustained some damage but her cargo tanks were not breached. As the spill occurred some 7 km off the coast at a time when the air temperature was high, the petroleum evaporated quickly with little danger to the New Jersey and Delaware shorelines.
Marine Park for Endangered Beluga Whales The federal and Qudbec provincial governments signed an agreement in early April 1990 for the creation of a marine park at the confluence of the Saguenay and St Lawrence Rivers, which is the home to an endangered stock of beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 20, 531-532). The project, a cornerstone in the S100-million federal-provincial cleanup of the St Lawrence River, was unveiled by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in June 1988. But it has been bogged down in jurisdictional disputes since then. The province of Qudbec will in effect own and administer the 800 km2 463
1989, a Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund (SOPF) was established to succeed the Maritime Pollution Claims Fund (MPCF). This involved the transfer of about S150 m from the MPCF to the SOPF. Claims to a maximum of $105.5 m may be paid by SOPF for any incident of oil pollution damage or anticipated damage at any place in Canada or in Canadian waters caused by the discharge from a ship. Areas where the Arctic Water Pollution Prevention Act applies are an exception, and in this case SOPF is only liable for oil spills from laden oil tankers. The classes of claims for which SOPF may be liable are: 1. non-public authority claims for oil pollution damages; 2. public authority claims for costs and expenses of oil spill cleanup, including preventive measures; 3. claims for oil pollution damage where the identity of the ship that caused the damage cannot be established; and 4. claims by persons in the fishing industry for loss of income.
Bumper Salmon Catch After Oil Spill Hundreds of seine and gill netting fishermen are setting new catch records for pink salmon in Prince William Sound only 18 months after the large oil spill from the Exxon Valdez. Estimates already put the potential catch at well over 30 million fish, beating the previous record of 29 million. In August last year there was no fishing in Prince William Sound due to the heavy contamination by the crude oil. The catch this August comes from fish which were newly hatched during the spill, as unlike many other species of Pacific salmon, pink salmon spend a relatively short time in the sea, only 15 or 16 months before returning to breed. In the past, Prince William Sound's fishing has been subject to cyclical, natural conditions which have frequently decimated the fish population but recovery has quickly occurred. However, from the start, there was considerable concern and disagreement about the possible effects of the oil spill on fish stocks. Some scientists claimed that even minute quantities of oil would poison young fish, while others stated that the toxic compounds would evaporate quickly and the fish would not be affected. Explanations are now being sought to help in understanding why such record numbers of fish should now be found in the Sound. Even the hatchery-produced fish are returning (to their release sites), at a rate of 7%, 2% higher than that in previous years. Immediately after the spill there was a rare period of dry sunny weather which sparked off an extensive and prolonged plankton bloom providing plenty of food for the emerging salmon fry. It has also been suggested that the fertilizing action of the oil helped to prolong this bloom. Another possible link with the oil spill could have been the large death toll of diving birds which normally feed off the salmon fry. The removal of these birds would have led to a higher than normal survival rate for the salmon. Speculation continues but to the fishermen of Prince William Sound, after the concern over the effect of the 462
oil on the fish population, there is much relief at the bumper crop. PHILIPPA AMBROSE
Land-locked Salmon Die in Large Numbers In early July 1990, up to 12 000 dead kokanee (landlocked sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka) were found washed up on the shore of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. Preliminary laboratory analysis pinpointed no specific cause for the fish kill, but it was believed that a virus causing a condition known as infectious haematopoetic necrosis might have played a role in the fish deaths. Christopher Bull, a provincial fisheries biologist, noted that the deaths followed heavy rains and speculated that the stress caused by rapid water temperature changes might have combined with the effect of the virus to cause the fish mortality. A third factor which may have contributed to the mortality was the age of the fish. All dead kokanee in Okanagan Lake and in other lakes were 2 years old. Similar die-offs of kokanee were recorded in Okanagan Lake during the past three summers, with the biggest kill of 100 000 kokanee occurring in 1988. The toll in 1989 was 50 000 fish. The kokanee population in Okanagan Lake is estimated at 18 million.
Mysterious Starfish Mortality near Powell River, British Columbia Hundreds of dead starfish were found on a stretch of shoreline near Powell River on the Strait of Georgia during the latter part of June 1990. They were discovered for the first time on 23 June by Nurse Rosemary Moran, whose waterfront home overlooks the affected beach. She reported seeing hundreds of dead starfish, noting that: "They were dead and on their backs, and they were white and pink and some of them were just mush7 She said that crabs were feeding on the remains of many of the echinoderms and that worried her. Ms. Moran added, "We saw a lot of dead crabs too, but I don't know if it's more than usual or not. We're not sure, but the larger crabs seem to be dying'.' She said that no shoreline scavenging birds, such as seagulls or ravens appeared to be eating the carcasses littering the low tideline from Scuttle Bay to Atrevida Reef, a distance of more than 2 kin. A research scientist at the Nanaimo Biological Station stated that such mass deaths are uncommon (but see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21, 222). She noted that a mortality incident involving a pulpmill spill near Nanaimo about 40 years ago was the only similar occurrence she had heard about. Although there is a large pulpmill at Powell River, it was believed that a toxicant from the mill would not have been responsible for the mortality in this case because only starfish were affected.
Oil Spill Task Force Report Released The States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force released its draft final report on 3 July 1990 for public comment. Comments were due by 18 July. The report is
Volume 21/Number 10/October 1990
comprehensive. Issues ranging from the design of ships to the management of vessel traffic are addressed. The focus of the report is largely on prevention of oil spills rather than response to spills. The task force was created by the province of British Columbia and the state of Washington following the Nestucca oil spill off the southwest coast of Washington in December 1988. The purpose of the task force was to address spill prevention, response and contingency plans. The states of Alaska, Oregon and California joined the task force after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, during March 1989. Recommendations of the task force cover 10 areas related to marine oil spills: 1. vessel traffic reduction; 2. vessel traffic management; 3. vessel design; 4. personnel; 5. enforcement, penalties, and liability; 6. regulatory oversight; Z education; 8. spill response enhancement; 9. research; and 10. next steps for the task force. More site specific recommendations for each of the states and British Columbia are included in the report. The task force reviewed existing studies related ~3 oil spill prevention and response and carried out new studies, where necessary, in developing the report.
Deep Cove and Wreck Beaches Closed to Swimmers Again Panorama Beach at Deep Cove, in the southern end of Indian Arm, north of Vancouver, British Columbia, was posted with signs on 4 July 1990 warning people that swimming or wading is unsafe when the faecal coliform count had reached an MPN (most probable number) of 274 per 100 ml on 25 June. The faecal coliform count had reached by 20 July 548 per 100 ml. A count of 200 or more is considered unsafe for bathing. A consultant's report to the council of the District of North Vancouver last summer blamed the contamination in Deep Cove on urban runoff, dog faeces and boaters who flush their sewage into the waters. Routine testing for faecal coliforms is conducted weekly at 15 locations on beaches of the lower Mainland of British Columbia. In recent years, all beaches have shown faecal coliform counts lower than 200, except for Panorama Beach. This year, Wreck Beach, adjacent to the North Arm of the Fraser River gave a faecal coliform count at one of its component beaches (Oasis Beach) of 224 on 29 June. Testing of Wreck Beach's other four areas revealed coliform counts below 100. Wreck Beach repeatedly exhibited high faecal coliform counts until a deep outfall was installed for the lona Island Sewage Treatment Plant, located on the North Arm of the Fraser River, in April 1988. This year's high count at Oasis Beach was attributed to its proximity to the Fraser River and the fact that heavy rains and large runoff from the river continually contaminated the beach. Faecal coliform counts of 800-900 in the river water are commonplace.
Arctic Oil Spill Report Critical of Lack of Cleanup Plans The Environmental Impact Review Board, formed in 1984 as part of a land claim agreement between the
Canadian federal government and native groups in the Western Arctic, reviewed a Gulf Canada proposal to drill a series of Beaufort Sea wells over the next three years. In its 82-page report, the Board found that "There is a startling lack of preparedness evident on the part of the government and on the part of Gulf to deal with a major well blowout . . ? After operating in the Beaufort Sea for seven years, Gulf Canada was noted to have never formed a plan for cleaning up a shoreline oil spill. It was recommended that Gulf's proposal be denied until a great deal more preparation is done. However, this was only a recommendation, and the regulatory bodies involved can approve the drilling without necessarily paying regard to the legitimate and broad concerns raised in the review.
More Oil in US Waters The tank barge SFI-33 was damaged amidships while loading a cargo of high sulphur NO6 oil at Lyondell Petrochemical Dock, Houston, releasing around 100 t of the fuel oil into the Houston ship channel on 12 August. Apparently, the middle two of four tanks on the barge were loaded first, causing the barge to buckle and touch bottom. The result was a fracture on the starboard side of almost 1 m long, with a smaller hole on the port side. The owners of the tank barge, Ingrain Barge Co. do not accept responsibility for the spill itself but are taking on financial obligations for the clean up. Because the oil is settling into the sand at the bottom of the channel, it is thought that the clean-up may be quite a lengthy process. It is unlikely that the spill will have a great impact on the marine life in the immediate vicinity since the accident happened in the docks, close to an existing chemical plant where the fauna is already improverished. Another spill of oil took place a few days later in Delaware Bay when the tank barge Ocean 192 collided with the tanker Faith I. The collision ruptured a cargo tank on the barge loaded with 2000 t of petroleum spilling about a quarter of its contents into the bay. The tanker, sustained some damage but her cargo tanks were not breached. As the spill occurred some 7 km off the coast at a time when the air temperature was high, the petroleum evaporated quickly with little danger to the New Jersey and Delaware shorelines.
Marine Park for Endangered Beluga Whales The federal and Qudbec provincial governments signed an agreement in early April 1990 for the creation of a marine park at the confluence of the Saguenay and St Lawrence Rivers, which is the home to an endangered stock of beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 20, 531-532). The project, a cornerstone in the S100-million federal-provincial cleanup of the St Lawrence River, was unveiled by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in June 1988. But it has been bogged down in jurisdictional disputes since then. The province of Qudbec will in effect own and administer the 800 km2 463