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

A black bear sitting in the woods.

Animal-welfare needs to go wild say Raincoast scientists

A new study published in the Journal of Animal Welfare by Raincoast scientists Paul Paquet and Chris Darimont, argues that degrading or destroying habitats and other impacts of human activities on wildlife causes them to suffer.  As such, animal welfare considerations granted to domestic animals need to be expanded to include wild animals. Photo: grizzly…
A black bear sitting in the woods.

Wildlife should be treated better: study

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Group says animal welfare rules should apply in the wild – and these images show you why

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A family of wolves on a rocky outcropping.

Wildlife conservation meets animal welfare

Paquet, P.C., and C.T. Darimont. 2010. Wildlife conservation meets animal welfare: two sides of the same coin? Animal Welfare 19: 177-190.
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Just say no to “certified organic” farmed salmon

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A group of bears in the water.

The Grizzlies of August

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Join Raincoast on an incredible sailing journey

Fall 2010 voyage into the land of the Spirit Bear From Brian Falconer, Raincoast’s Captain of Achiever Wouldn’t it feel good to know that while you’re having a great time, you’re also supporting a great cause?
Fish farms on the BC coast threaten wild salmon.

Just say no to ‘certified organic’ farmed salmon

SPECIAL TO THE VANCOUVER SUN August 12, 2010 British Columbia farmed salmon could carry a “certified organic” label if federal aquaculture boosters have their way. The proposal by the Canadian General Standards Board and organic aquaculture working group at Fisheries and Oceans Canada to give the organic stamp of approval to B.C.-farmed salmon raised in…