Mayor's statement on Vancouver fuel spill
The following is a statement from the mayor regarding the fuel spill in English Bay:
“Early this morning the City of Vancouver was alerted to a fuel spill in English Bay that occurred yesterday evening. The management of the spill is the responsibility of the Federal Government through the Coast Guard, the Port, and Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, and they have been working to contain the spill and recover as much as possible.
“Upon being alerted to the spill early this morning, the City activated our Emergency Operations Centre and supported the response in active coordination with our partners. Marine units from the Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services were deployed, City staff and Park Rangers have been in place to monitor the shoreline, and biologists and wildlife experts are also on site to assist in assessing any impacts of the spill on shoreline and wildlife.
“I would like to thank all first responders and officials who have assisted in today’s effort, and all of those who have volunteered to assist at this early stage. Residents and watercraft operators are still encouraged to stay away from any fuel as there may be potential health risks.
“Any spill of this nature is met with grave concern by all Vancouver residents, and underscores both the importance of robust oil spill response capacity in our local waters and the need to protect our shores from all such risks in the future.”