Coast guard called in as diesel spill closes Richmond beaches
Beaches at Richmond's Garry Point Park are closed after the Canadian Coast Guard investigated and tried to clean up a recent diesel spill.
According to a spokesperson, the coast guard was first informed of the spill on Wednesday evening around 8:15 when it "received a report of a diesel smell and sheen," an email to CTV News says, adding it got dark before they could find out the source of the spill.
The next day, CCG crews found "a large patch of recoverable product on the water," the spokesperson's email continued, adding they "deployed absorbent pads and recovered an estimated 100 litres of pollutants." Those pollutants were primarily but not exclusively diesel fuel. However, the source was still not found despite crews checking in with the owners of multiple boats and ships in the area.
On Friday, the vessel was located and the cause identified.
"There was a line in the engine room of a vessel that was spilling product into the bilge area at a fast rate. The CCG crew removed the bilge pump and turned it off, thereby stopping additional pollutants from entering the water," the emailed statement says.
The City of Richmond announced the closure of the popular beaches on Friday, urging residents to stay back from the shoreline and out of the water.
The Steveston Harbour Authority and the CCG will monitor the situation over the weekend and the owner of the vessel has been instructed to clean the bilge by Monday, the statement from the CCG concludes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Cohen expected to take the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.