Politics & Government
Cleanup Continues Following Shipping Container Spill
Some cargo spilled last month near the Strait of Juan de Fuca has made its way to the west coast, though most remains missing.
SEATTLE — The Canadian Coast Guard continues to clean up debris and shipping containers from last month's cargo spill near the Strait of Juan de Fuca— though the overwhelming majority of the shipping containers remain missing.
As the Seattle Times' Christine Clarridge reported, 105 of the 109 spilled containers are not yet accounted for. All 109 fell from the vessel Zim Kingston on Oct. 25, as the ship heeled 35 degrees amid heavy swells, about 38 miles west of the Strait. Initial reports from the Coast Guard estimated that just 40 containers had been lost, but that number has since swelled to over 100 as the full extent of the spill became known.
Since the incident, debris began washing up as early as Oct. 30 along the coast of Vancouver B.C.
Find out what's happening in Seattlefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
#CCGLive: Shoreline cleanup has begun! Crews hired by the #ZimKingston owners were on the beach at Cape Palmerston yesterday & today to remove debris. 38 bags of Styrofoam were collected yesterday & 40 fridges have been moved above the high water mark for removal. pic.twitter.com/5ZuG3UdZS3
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) October 31, 2021
Ultimately, four of the containers washed ashore from Palmerston Beach to Victoria B.C. All four have since been airlifted away by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Crews will begin removing debris from Guise Bay at Cape Scott, as weather allows. The Incident Command Post is continuing the search for more containers. The initial four containers will soon be removed from the beach via helicopter. pic.twitter.com/oyc6ONAlVT
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) November 2, 2021
However, large amounts of spilled debris remain. The cleanup process is slow-going by design: at least two of the lost containers held hazardous materials, and debris fields be checked for safety before removal can begin.
Find out what's happening in Seattlefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
#CCGLive: Crews continued to clean over the weekend, with more debris found at Experiment Bight. At Raft Cove, the ship’s contractor & members of the Quatsino First Nation supported the removal of 123 garbage bags & 65 bulk bags in 35 trips made by two 🚁. Here's a before & after pic.twitter.com/LIwE9IqqTf
— Canadian Coast Guard (@CoastGuardCAN) November 9, 2021
As for the Zim Kingston, it remains parked at Constance Bank, Victoria, the coast guard said. The ship is reportedly seaworthy, but the ship's master and the coast guard are still working to determine the best time for the ship to depart.
Patch editor Lucas Combos contributed to this report.
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