Monday, April 13, 2015

Responding To Burrard Inlet Oil Spills...How Much Difference Does Four Hours Make?

AllTheHoursThatFit
NotKitsilanoVille


Earlier today we noted that the Coastguard's latest limited hangout has them trumpeting the fact that they managed to get the spill response contractor to the English Bay spill within a most excellent four hours and fifteen minutes.

So....

How long would it taken if the Kits base had not been dismantled in 2013, ostensibly to save 'us' $700,000 per year?

Kelly Sinoski of the VSun has the latest on that. Here is her lede:

VANCOUVER - A retired Coast Guard coxswain says the English Bay spill could have been contained within half an hour if the Kitsilano base was still operating.

Capt. Tony Toxopeus, a trained pollution response technician, dismissed claims by the the Canadian Coast Guard that the Kitsilano base was only a rescue station, noting it was equipped with a purpose built oil pollution response vessel, 300 metres of of Kepner self-inflating boom and skimmer and power pack, while crews were trained regulary to deal in oil spill response.

“As soon as we saw there was bunker we would have hit the alarm button and got moving,” Toxopeus said. “We could have backed the boat in, towed the boom there and be alongside the boat in 30 minutes.”...



Again, as we noted earlier, this was a small spill.

But...

Can anyone seriously argue that such a delay would not make a big difference in the event of a large spill?


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Personally, I am still not convinced that the $700,000 in per annum 'savings' is the real reason that base was closed.


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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

they were lucky with the weather and may have gone unnoticed in heavier weather alltogether or even later.

I hope they didnt use any corexit

Lulymay said...

I agree with you that it's doubtful the $700,000 was ever the reason. After learning who CCG's primary contractor is to clean up oil spills on the West Coast, did any of us realize it would be over 50% owned by Kinder Morgan? No wonder their presentation to NEB made note of the profitability of oil spills? Hmmmmm

e.a.f. said...

of course it wasn't. It was closed so the provincial government could sell the land to some corporation from Communist China or one of their friends. then of course they did contract out the work of dealing with oil spills to a branch of an oil company. given how much stevie likes oil and oil companies perhaps this was his way of "rewarding" them for their political contributions.

Anonymous said...

That new St. Paul’s relocation that CC announced for Tsunami Flats: did catching the city off-guard with the plan have anything to do with diverting public attention away from all them oily birds?

Unknown said...

This shows us how incompetent the Harper Tories are. Let's get rid of them.

RossK said...

Anon-At-The-Top--

Hadn't thought of that, re: the weather...Did think, however, that the description of the fellow that phoned it in was interesting (he was surprised by the pea to fist-sized globules when he got close).

What's 'corexit'?

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Anon-Above--

A point worth considering.

After all, the wizards of Clarklandia have done this kind of double-reverse cancel-out deflector spike spinning before.

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Anonymous said...

corexit

https://www.google.ca/search?q=corexit&biw=1920&bih=904&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aCctVZDWL4-gyQS4iIHQDQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg

Anonymous said...

http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/04/14/Vancouver-Oil-Spill-Response/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=140415