Hartley Bay needs answers on ferry; B.C. Ferries must prove its case for leaving the Queen of the North beneath the ocean

Times Colonist (Victoria)
Monday, June 11, 2007
Page: A10
Section: Comment
Source: Times Colonist

The decision by B.C. Ferries not to raise the sunken Queen of the North from the bottom of Wright Sound has created anger and suspicion in Hartley Bay.

The corporation says lifting the ship more than 400 metres is too risky.

And since there is little or no diesel fuel left on board, it argues that there is little environmental risk if the ship is left underwater.

B.C. Ferries says its decision is based on information collected during an extensive environmental and technical review by international scientific and salvage experts.

Gitga'at chief councillor Bob Hill sees it differently. He says the corporation's claims that no fuel is left in the ship are "simply bull."

The area's shellfish and seafood industries are jeopardized by long-term leaching of fuel, oils and contaminants, Hill says.

The first step in resolving the dispute is openness.

Frustrated Gitga'at First Nation members and residents of Hartley Bay -- and all interested British Columbians -- should be shown all the evidence that B.C. Ferries relied on to reach its decision.

The corporation should post all its studies and technical reports on its website and let those interested reach their own conclusions.

Contamination has already occurred. After the sinking last year, the bay was fouled by a visible oil slick estimated at up to 340 square kilometres. The oil contaminated the beaches of Fin Island, where the Gitga'at dig for clams.

Hill and other Hartley Bay residents are worried about a sudden release of the 150,000 to 200,000 litres of fuel some believe could still be on the ship.

And they're worried about even the perception of contamination. The lucrative spawn-on-kelp fishery produces herring eggs sold primarily in Japan for sushi restaurants. Any hint of pollution is damaging.

The residents deserve comprehensive answers.

B.C. Ferries must demonstrate that the wreckage of the Queen of the North is safe and that it will not continue to contaminate the waters around Hartley Bay. It must explain why, if there is no fuel on board, salvage has been rejected as an option.

The first step toward allaying concerns and creating certainty is for B.C. Ferries to make public all the data and information gathered by the scientific and salvage experts.