Canadian Coast Guard called in after fuel spill in English Bay

Federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations officials have been called in to assess the impact of a fuel spill in English Bay Saturday.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Canadian Coast Guard says authorities were notified of "suspected marine pollution" near Spanish Banks in the Vancouver harbour by a float plane pilot. An initial investigation revealed that between 60 and 100 litres of fuel was "released" by a container ship, the MV Europe.

"Our highest priority today is tracking an uncontained fuel slick from the initial release, using air and on-water resources," a spokesperson for the coast guard said Sunday.

"We anticipate the fuel has thinned and spread out overnight and we are working today to aggressively contain the slick and remove as much as possible from the marine environment."

While officials say they don’t believe more fuel will spill, a plan is in place if that happens.

"We are on the water today, and will continue to respond and manage the scene with our response partners," the statement form the coast guard continues, noting those partners include the City of Vancouver, the City of Richmond, the Port of Vancouver, Transport Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the province of B.C.

"The Musquem, Tsleil Waututh, Squamish, and Lyackson Nations are identifying areas of cultural sensitivity so that we can protect those areas if needed," it continues.

More information will be released by officials as efforts to contain and respond to the spill progress.