Tankers of all sizes have been banned from travelling through Active Pass, a narrow stretch of water between Mayne and Galiano islands, following a public outcry and Tyee reporting.ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERSThank You! Tyee Adds 900 New Members To Monthly Supporter Program Our Builders are foundational to our growth and future success. A note of gratitude from our team.The Pacific Pilotage Authority, a federal Crown corporation, issued the ban following a Tyee report that highlighted the lack of regulation on tankers transiting the narrow, busy waterway.The interim ban covers ships carrying bulk oil, pollutants and hazardous cargo, and it stands until a risk assessment is completed for commercial vessels in Active Pass.The Pacific Pilotage Authority told The Tyee it doesn’t yet know when it can do the risk assessment.Most commercial ships travelling in B.C. coastal waters are required to use a pilot from the authority to ensure safety. The ban only covers ships piloted by the authority.The Tyee is supported by readers like you Join us and grow independent media in CanadaThe document, known as a Notice to Industry, says ships 150 metres or smaller carrying non-pollutant cargo may still take Active Pass “when special circumstances and/or prevailing conditions warrant.” BC Ferries and pleasure craft can still take the waterway.Marine oil spill expert Gerald Graham, who raised the alarm when a tanker travelled through Active Passage in April, said he was surprised but pleased that the authority issued the public document.When The Tyee previously reported on the issue, we were told the authority would issue an internal document only.Graham said a public document would be stronger so people can read it and hold a ship’s captain and owner accountable if they try to transit the pass.This spring, Graham became a loud advocate for banning tanker traffic from Active Pass after he was sent a picture of the MV Kassos, a 102-metre-long oil tanker, transiting the pass. He estimates there were 41,513 barrels of oil on board.There is no justifiable reason for an oil tanker of any size to take the riskier route instead of neighbouring Boundary Pass, which most commercial ships stick to, Graham said.
Source: ‘We’re Not Going to See Tankers in Active Pass Ever Again’ | The Tyee
