Debris believed to be linked to the Japanese tsunami has washed up on the shores of Victoria, B.C., just weeks after residents in Tofino discovered air fresheners and lumber from the east.
Victoria resident Beth Hayhurst snapped photos of battered items she recently discovered on a beach, which include bottles with Asian writing and a battered sandal.
"In my mind, I do feel some of this is related to the tsunami, but I know there is more coming," Hayhurst told CTV News.
"If I'm feeling this way about the small amounts I'm seeing now, relatively speaking, where will this leave our shoreline in a year and a half? " she asked.
In December an assortment of cans, bottles and lumber with Japanese writing began turning up on Tofino's shores, although oceanographers' predictions were debris from the tsunami wouldn't arrive on the B.C. coast for at least another year.
In B.C. all three levels of government will monitor the arrival of detritus through a working group to be announced this week.
Incoming materials being pushed across the Pacific Ocean following Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami last March are raising health and environmental concerns.
Christianne Wilhelmson, the executive director of the Georgia Straight Alliance, says the large amount of debris expected to wash up along the province's shores next year add to existing issues.
"Debris with Asian script and that comes from Asian communities is already on our beaches," Wilhelmson said. "A lot of people don't realize that garbage is already a problem."
The U.S. agency that monitors oceans thinks it's highly unlikely the waste will be radioactive, but some scientists say it's too early to know for sure.
"It could be so massive it chokes a local marina; parts of it could be radioactive," oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer said.
Wilhelmson also shares Ebbesmeyer's wary sentiments.
"The amount that's going to make it here and the time since the tsunami will probably minimize the radioactivity, but I think we have to be cautious about it," she said.
Debris believed to be linked to the Japanese tsunami has washed up on the shores of Victoria, B.C., just weeks after residents in Tofino discovered air fresheners and lumber from the east.
Victoria resident Beth Hayhurst snapped photos of battered items she recently discovered on a beach, which include bottles with Asian writing and a battered sandal.
"In my mind, I do feel some of this is related to the tsunami, but I know there is more coming," Hayhurst told CTV News.
"If I'm feeling this way about the small amounts I'm seeing now, relatively speaking, where will this leave our shoreline in a year and a half? " she asked.
In December an assortment of cans, bottles and lumber with Japanese writing began turning up on Tofino's shores, although oceanographers' predictions were debris from the tsunami wouldn't arrive on the B.C. coast for at least another year.
In B.C. all three levels of government will monitor the arrival of detritus through a working group to be announced this week.
Incoming materials being pushed across the Pacific Ocean following the Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami last March are raising health and environmental concerns.
Christianne Wilhelmson, the executive director of the Georgia Straight Alliance, says the large amount of debris expected to wash up along the province's shores next year add to existing issues.
""Debris with Asian script and that comes from Asian communities is already on our beaches," Wilhelmson said. "It just makes me realize that a lot of people don't realize that garbage is already a problem."
The U.S. agency that monitors oceans thinks it's highly unlikely the incoming waste will be radioactive, but some scientists say it's too early to know for sure.
"It could be so massive it chokes a local marina; parts of it could be radioactive," oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer said.
Wilhelmson also shares Ebbesmeyer's wary sentiments.
"The amount that's going to make it here and the time since the tsunami will probably minimize the radioactivity, but I think we have to be cautious about it," she said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Bhinder Sajan
