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

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Review of British Columbia’s Wildlife Act

This is a response to the Ministry of Environment’s review of the Wildlife Act in 2007.  It was submitted by the Sierra Legal Defense Fund (now EcoJustice) and University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Clinic on behalf of Raincoast Conservation Foundation and a coalition of BC ENGO’s. Download the pdf
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Wild Salmon in Trouble

Wild Salmon in Trouble Video – at the Watershed Watch site Watershed Watch produced the animation ‘Wild Salmon in Trouble’ to clarify why sea lice are a problem for wild salmon and to provide an overview of the salmon life cycle so the public can make informed decisions regarding the seafood they purchase.
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The Last Wild Wolves (2007)

The last wild Wolves: Ghosts of the Great Bear Rainforest (2007). By Ian McAllister and Raincoast’s Dr. Chris Darimont, with foreword by Raincoast’s Dr. Paul Paquet. Published by Greystone Books. 100% of Darimont and Paquet’s revenues were donated to the Qqs Society in support of science and cultural youth camps at Koeye.
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Write letters

Contacting provincial and federal elected officials, as well as members of the opposition and newspapers, is an effective and important way to communicate your thoughts on an issue.  Here are some key contacts. Provincial BC Premier Hon. Gordon Campbell (and MLA Vancouver-Point Grey)Mailing address: PO Box 9041 Stn Prov Govt  Victoria, BC  V8W 9E2Email: Gordon…
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Cetacean sightings with Des Kawai

Cetacean sightings with Des Kawai – printable version By Des Kawai Marine Mammal Biologist Grenville Channel, August 2008 It was not a humpback whale. But if not, then what? We were in the middle of Grenville Channel, conducting our summer survey for marine mammals and birds. Usually, the large whales we see in…
A wolf looks through the grass in BC

Wolves prefer seafood to steak

In a remote neck of Canada’s backwoods the deer catch a break during the fall. That’s when the wolves go fishing. “Although most people imagine wolves chasing deer and other hoofed animals …
A wolf stands

Wolves prefer fish over meat

Researchers found that the Timber wolf prefers salmon when it is available, although it has traditionally been viewed as a ferocious pack animal that hunts and kills deer. A team who looked at the feeding habits of wolves in a remote area of British Columbia in Canada found …
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Fearsome deer hunters? No, wolves would rather dine on a dainty fish dish

By Daily Mail Reporter September 2, 2008 Wolves have a reputation as fearsome meat-eating hunters, but given the choice they would rather have a tasty salmon, scientists have found. This is because a leisurely fishing trip is safer and less exhausting than chasing deer. Salmon also provides an excellent source of nutrition.