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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One with the wolves

Monday Magazine By Bill Stuart Feb 27 2008 Chris Darimont goes north to the Great Bear Rainforest No question, wolves have gotten a bad rap through literature and folklore over the years, but in truth they are an essential part of many northern ecosystems. Thanks to the work of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and scientists…
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Tracking Raincoast into 2008

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Events

An Evening of Science & Journeys among wolves, bears & fjords with Dr. Chris Darimont, Vicky Husband and Maple Leaf Adventures Presented by the University of Victoria Alumni Associaiton RSVP: 250.386.7245 David Lam Auditorium University of Victoria Thursday, February 28, 2008 7 PM
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Slideshow of Raincoast Birds

The lands and waters of Canada’s Pacific coast support an astonishing diversity of marine birds. Millions breed here every year and millions more migrate, rest, overwinter and feed here. With industrial projects, such as oil tankers and pipelines, being proposed for the lands and waters of the Great Bear Rainforest, the marine birds of our…
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Juvenile Salmon Migration Mapping Report

Raincoast investigated juvenile salmon habitat use along BC’s central coast in order to identify primary migration routes. This is a year-one report. Juvenile Salmon Migration Mapping Report
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Sea lice are spreading. Is the government noticing?

By Stephen Hume Vancouver Sun January 23, 2008 Sea lice infestations affecting wild salmon smolts that migrate past fish farms have been found in yet another region of British Columbia’s remote coast. The problem poses potential headaches for the provincial government, since it suggests implications for commercial and recreational fisheries worth close to $1 billion…
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Marine Birds of Queen Charlotte Sound

By Caroline Fox Marine Bird Specialist, Marine Conservation Program Journal entry – November 2007: It’s our last night and tomorrow will be our final marine bird and mammal survey transect back to the mainland coast. I am helping keep watch aboard Achiever and it’s a night to remember: a starry sky above us, aurora borealis…
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Alarm over sea lice spreads

By Stephen Hume Vancouver Sun January 28, 2008 If British Columbia’s wild salmon runs were damaged by a sea lice crisis similar to those in Norway, Scotland and Ireland, who should be accountable?