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

Misty MacDuffee and Chris Genovali looking up at a very large cedar tree in a cedar grove.

The home stretch to permanently protect S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest

It was in late November when we launched our initiative to purchase and permanently protect the S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest. We determined the sale price and set our goal to raise $395,000 by April. Now, less than 2 months into our 6 month fundraising campaign, we are less than $20,000 away from meeting our target…
A hand holding an estuary plant.

Bringing a stewardship program to my home community

Summer student, Robin Buss, worked with Raincoast Conservation Foundation to bring a stewardship program to her home community, the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Peter Underwood steering Achiever with ocean and blue skies in the background

W̱SÁNEĆ youth on Achiever explore the Salish Sea

W̱SÁNEĆ youth, Peter Underwood, shares about his trip on Raincoast’s research vessel, Achiever, in the Salish Sea.
Eagle flies high up in the air.

Why 2020 was not all bad…

Before 2020 closes, please accept my sincere thanks and gratitude for your support that has enabled our success.
A wolf walks along the beach.

Tracking Raincoast’s impact through 2020

These conservation efforts and our research have reached millions around the world. Tangible conservation success. 2020 was not all bad – let’s make 2021 even better…
A Flycatcher sits on top of a tree surrounded by snow, wearing a Santa hat.

All we want for Christmas is an olive-sided flycatcher in a Douglas-fir tree

With the end of 2020 approaching, we need your help in providing BC’s Coastal Douglas-fir forests with a holiday gift that we can all celebrate…
The cover of Tracking Raincoast into 2021 over top of a photo of a spirit bear with a salmon in their mouth.

Tracking Raincoast into 2021

Like everyone else in 2020, we have had to adapt and explore our own resilience. From pausing multi-year field research programs, cancelling youth education and our usual travel throughout the coast, COVID has disrupted much. Yet we are grateful to have our health and play our part in protecting and supporting the communities, businesses, and individuals we work with…
An infographic about the Fraser Estuary overlayed on top of an underwater photo of some salmon.

Research: Conservation in heavily urbanized biodiverse regions requires urgent management action and attention to governance

A new open access research paper led by Dr. Tara Martin at the UBC Conservation Decisions Lab applied a novel conservation decision making tool called Priority Threat Management to identify the most cost-effective management strategies needed to address the threats facing 102 species at risk identified in the area…