Calls for Queen of North clean up become louder

With the Queen of the North laying at the bottom of the ocean near Hartley Bay, concerns over leaking fuel and the impact it will have on the ecosystem in that area are becoming more frequent and expressed with more conviction.

The leaking fuel is said to be contaminating key shellfish areas in Wright Sound and important part of the traditions and economy of the residents of Hartley Bay and the area.

It's an issue that has been raised prominently by the local MLA Gary Coons who is asking for immediate action on the problem. His call and further details on the situation were found in Wednesday's Daily News.

CLEAN UP SUNKEN FERRY'S FUEL LEAK RIGHT NOW: MLA
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Page one

An internal B.C. government document says hydrocarbons were found in food sources near Hartley Bay as early as a week after the Queen of the North sank.

Yet nothing has been done to remove the fuel from the sunken vessel, which continues to leak into the surrounding environment.

The briefing note obtained by The Canadian Press under the Freedom of Information Act was prepared for Environment Minister Barry Penner.

It says hydrocarbons were found in shellfish at five of 13 sensitive locations affected by the fuel leaking out of the sunken B.C. ferry in Wright Sound.

The residents of nearby Hartley Bay say fuel continues to bubble up and they have not harvested in the area for a year.

They are angry that nothing has yet been done about the situation, despite the authorities’ awareness of the water’s contamination.

North Coast MLA Gary Coons said immediate action needs to be taken.
“Waiting over a year is unacceptable,” said Coons. “There have been no concrete actions taken by the minister responsible.”

The leaking fuel is spreading into the area of traditional harvest by members of the Gitga’at First Nation, who live in the community of Hartley Bay.

Coons noted that if nothing is done, there will be young people who are denied the opportunity to experience their traditional culture and foods.

He related a story written by the young grand daughter of the spouse of a hereditary chief from that village.

“Today, my teacher asked us how many of us had tasted abalone. I know that abalone was an animal that lived on the rocks in the water and that the shells were a beautiful rainbow colour. But I’ve never tasted one,” she said.

“My grandmother told me that long ago they used to be able to get abalone by the sackful, and they were delicious. But I’ve never tasted one. She said they were good raw, but if you’re going to fry them that you had to pound them and then fry them and eat them with rice. But I’ve never tasted one.”

“I don’t know what happened to them all. I just know there aren’t any anymore, and I’ve never tasted one,” said the young woman.

The student then wondered what will happen in 2010 if her teacher asks her how many of the students have tasted clams?

“I wonder what I will say. I hope that it won’t be that I have never tasted one,” she said.
Coons noted that while immediate action needs to be taken, he was informed in a letter from the Canadian Coast Guard that they are “monitoring” the situation and have found it stable.

“Once their ‘technical review’ is completed they will discuss the options with B.C. Ferries and enter into ‘consultations with First Nations,” said Coons.

It’s no wonder the residents feel that all levels of government are stalling, he noted.
“We must ensure a timely response for those who put their lives at risk on that fateful night last March,” he said.

With files from Canadian Press