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The
Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 37, NUMBER 43 • OCTOBER 28, 2014
Modern message in a bottle: ‘this could be oil’ By Emily Greenberg Journal Reporter
A tanker carrying hundreds of tons of fuel lost power close to the shores of Haida Gwaii, a northern British Columbia archipelago, Thurs., Oct. 16. The vessel, nearing the shoreline, in danger of running aground and spilling fuel into the water, was rescued by a U.S. tug boat after the
Canadian Coast Guard was unable to tow it to safety. Three environmental organizations from the U.S. and Canada, including Friends of the San Juans, have dropped drift cards labeled “this could be oil” over the past year, with the most recent drop Aug. 25. The cards were dropped along oil tanker routes from the Burrard Inlet in
Contributed photo
Friends Director Stephanie Buffum with a drift card. southwest B.C., through the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands, and out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The goal is to model the likely path where oil would travel in the event of a major spill. Out of 700 cards dropped, six were found in the Haida Gwaii archipelago. Three were dropped at Turn Point on Stuart Island and the other three in Georgia Strait. “If it can get there, it could likely get back,” Friends Director Stephanie Buffum said, alluding to the likelihood of fuel drifting into the Salish Sea, if spilled off the Haida Gwaii shorelines. The drift card project came to life after the third largest energy company in North America, Kinder Morgan, proposed the expansion of its Trans Mountain Pipeline, which transports crude and refined oil from points as
Re-Elect Rob Nou for Sheriff “It is my sworn duty to ensure the safety and security of our islands– to be the guardian of the quality of life we cherish.”
www.robnou4sheriff.com
INTEGRITY
MY CORE VALUES
I exercise my best judgement and discretion to do what is fair and just
COURAGE
I act boldly and decisively to choose the right path, not necessarily the easiest one
SERVICE
I strive to be helpful in providing assistance to those in need or at times of crisis
RESPECT
I treat others with dignity and courtesy while practicing the Golden Rule “I would be honored to continue to serve as your Sheriff” Paid for by Rob Nou, www.robnou4sheriff.com
far away as Alberta and California. If approved, the expansion of the pipeline would increase the amount of Alberta tar sand oil transported to the Vancouver, B.C. area from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day, and likely boost tanker traffic in the Salish Sea from five tankers per month to 34. Islands’ Oil Spill Association is preparing. “Because of the potential and likelihood of increased shipping vessels, we’re focusing on the westside of the islands,” IOSA’s
Jackie Wolf said. “We have supplies throughout the islands, but the reality is in the event of a big spill, we’d need help.” IOSA is a first-responder that implements strategy, and deploys booms (a temporary floating barrier) to contain spills and protect environmentally sensitive areas. IOSA and its volunteers have had recent training exercises at False Bay, Mitchell Bay and on the westside of Orcas Island, focusing on the west side of the islands in the assumption that any increase in
tanker traffic will travel through Boundary Bay and into Haro Strait, Wolf said. Nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound when The Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in 1989. The catastrophic spill marked the beginning of the end for a small group of transient killer whales, the AT1s, that made the Sound and surrounding waters their home. With the Salish Sea’s own southern residents struggling to survive, SEE DRIFT, PAGE 8