Oil spill off Howe Sound

Yesterday a ship came into the docks at the Squamish Terminal in Howe Sound, BC and spilled 45 tonnes of fuel

This is a problem because winds and currents are going to drive the spill to shore. And apparently the Squamish Estuary (where the Squamish River empties into Howe Sound) is located quite close and is important in terms of wildlife and nature and marshland areas. It's an ecosystem with salmon runs, eagles, seals, birds and marine life that could be damaged and most likely will be if this mess isn't cleaned up right away.





You may ask, how was this oil spilled? Apparently at 2:30 yesterday, the "Westwood Anette" was leaving the pier when high winds pushed it back into the dock, puncturing two holes in the starboard side of the ship, spilling the fuel.

Officials at Environment Canada are saying this is a big spill and being so near to an important area, it could really damage the ecosystem for who knows how long. I mean, the Exxon Valdez disaster was 17 years ago and Prince William Sound is still contaminated with crude oil.