Oil and chemical spill tracking

Spills of oil and chemicals into freshwater and ocean environments have killed fish, degraded habitat, and led to closures of commercial, recreational, and Indigenous fisheries. Raincoast’s Healthy Waters Program is positioned to collect data at the scene of a spill and collaborate with various organizations and First Nations to understand the impact of a spill. 

Tracker will host a number of rugged analytical instruments, and enable the measurement of several contaminants in the field, including coliform bacteria, nutrients, metals, pesticides, and tracers of wastewater effluent.
Photo by Peter Ross.
Two sockeye salmon swimming in a river.
Photo by Fernando Lessa.

Spills happen

Spills originate from all manner of accidents. The 2005 train derailment that spilled caustic soda into the Cheakamus River that killed 500,000 fish, The 2015 spill of 3,000 L of Bunker C oil from the MV Marathassa into English Bay. The 2020 fire aboard the MV ZIM Kingston in Juan de Fuca Strait that resulted in the loss of 104 mixed cargo shipping containers into the ocean. Each and every accident is bad news, and threatens the health of fish and whales, and contributes to the degradation of their habitats.

Being prepared is key

Given the sudden and unpredictable nature of oil and chemical spills, our oil and chemical spill response work entails being agile and available for support to First Nations, government agencies, and industry during a major spill. We are developing science protocols, and acquiring sampling kits, field equipment, and safety gear, and are poised to deploy our team to the scene of a spill. 

Being prepared on all fronts is key to limiting the damage from a spill. We recognize that with spills, it’s not a matter of if, but when. Research and monitoring to confirm the origin of the spill, track the fate of the spilled product, and monitor the recovery of ecosystem components routinely fails to be a priority. We will deploy expert capacity where and when needed, and work to prevent harm to valued ecosystem components.

Two people working together to collect water samples in a farm field with the mountains in the background.
Photo by Alex Harris.
https://www.raincoast.org/reports/flood

Semá:th X̱ó:tsa (Sumas Lake) Floods of 2021

The catastrophic floods of late 2021 in southern British Columbia (Canada) and neighbouring Washington State (USA) destroyed homes, farms and businesses, with excess water spilling debris, animal carcasses and diesel fuel into historically productive fish habitat. 

We assembled a team to assess water quality in the former Semá:th X̱ó:tsa (Sumas Lake) area of the Fraser Valley over a seven-week period after the floods. We collected water samples from 11 surface water sites and four groundwater sites for comprehensive contaminant analysis and a subsequent risk-based evaluation. We measured 379 analytes (chemical components and bacteria), including 262 anthropogenic contaminants. We examined excess nutrients, metals, fecal coliform, hydrocarbons, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, perfluorinated compounds, sucralose, and tire-related chemicals.

Read the report

Recent articles

Oil tanker in BC waters

Smooth Sailing for Oil Tankers?

CounterPunch Christmas Weekend Edition December 24-26, 2010 By Chris Genovali and Misty MacDuffee Recently, British Columbia MP (Member of Parliament) Gary Lunn asserted that professionals should be left to decide on oil tanker routes for the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project…
Oil tanker in BC waters

Pipeline proponents see smooth sailing

Gulf Islands Driftwood Published: December 22, 2010 By Chris Genovali and Misty MacDuffee This past week, Saanich-Gulf Islands MP Gary Lunn asserted that professionals should be left to decide on tanker routes for the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project…
A group of orca whales swimming in the ocean.

Ruling demands DFO do more for orcas

By Sean McIntyre – Gulf Islands Driftwood Published: December 15, 2010 A coalition of environmental groups from coastal BC is celebrating a federal court’s Dec. 7 decision that confirms DFO failed to protect critical habitat for resident killer whales…
A black bear standing on a rock in a river.

Black bears prefer waterfront

By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist December 18, 2010 Remote waterfront property has its limitations when it comes to comfortable, long-term winter accommodation. None of that, though, apparently deters Vancouver Island black bears…
Close up of a grizzly with a salmon in its mouth

Journal Watch: Let them run

“Ask not what a park can do for spawning salmon. Ask what robust salmon runs could do for the park – and for coastal fishing communities.” Read the story about Raincoast’s proposal for including wildlife in salmon management…
A young student on board Achiever throws a bottle with a message in it, into the waters of the Salish Sea.

Message in a bottle

As part of an effort to understand ocean currents, and how they would influence a potential oil spill, the Institute of Ocean Sciences teamed up with the Gitga’at First Nation and Raincoast to drop “drift bottles” into the Pacific Ocean.
Two grizzly bear cubs playing in the grass.

Patagonia: Raincoast Conservation Foundation Working on Ways to Share the Wealth

Raincoast Science Director Chris Darimont has a feature article posted at The Cleanest Line blog on the Patagonia website. Check it out…
A black and white killer whale jumping out of the water.

Legal Victory for resident Killer Whales

A precedent setting legal victory that forces the Canadian federal government to protect the critical habitat of BC’s resident killer whales (salmon eaters) was won this week.  CFAX host Murray Langdon speaks with Raincoast’s Misty MacDufee about the case and what it means  for the whales. Click here to listen (MP3). Download the judges decision Killer Whale Judgement…