"The distress call went out to the Canadian coast guard station after midnight on an October night. The Nathan E Stewart, an American-flagged tugboat, sailing through the light winds and rain of the central British Columbia coast, had grounded on a reef. The captain tried to reverse, moving the rudder from hard over port to hard over starboard. The boat pivoted but did not move, and the tug repeatedly struck the sea bed."
"Four hours later, the ship began taking on water, and leaking diesel into the sea. That evening, a coast guard helicopter confirmed the worst-case scenario: a large sheen of diesel oil on the water was visible outside of a containment boom. In total, 110,000 litres spilled near the entrance to Seaforth Channel. I remember being in my office later that day getting calls from elders in the community."
The Nathan E Stewart grounded on a reef off central British Columbia, striking the seabed repeatedly before taking on water. The tug leaked diesel, creating a large sheen visible beyond containment booms, totaling 110,000 litres spilled near Seaforth Channel. The spill contaminated primary harvesting sites of the Heiltsuk Nation around Bella Bella, destroying clam gardens and causing ongoing economic losses. The Heiltsuk community has sought compensation for nearly a decade. The incident resurfaced during debates over lifting a 53-year tanker ban to allow a bitumen pipeline and amid Canada’s large oil production and accelerating climate impacts.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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