Canadian Coast Guard to start oil removal operation from historic shipwreck in Grenville Channel, British Columbia

VICTORIA, BC, Oct. 10, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to protecting Canada's oceans and waterways, and is taking action to address the threat posed by wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels.

Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced the award of a $4.9 million contract to Resolve Marine to remove oil from historic shipwreck USAT Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski, which sunk in Grenville Channel (northern British Columbia). The Canadian Coast Guard is working closely with Gitga'at and Gitxaala First Nations and will be on scene to manage the response.

The M.G. Zalinski struck a rock near Pitt Island in 1946, while transporting army supplies and heavy fuel oil from Seattle, Washington, to Whittier, Alaska, as part of the war effort. Over the years, the Canadian Coast Guard has monitored the vessel and in 2013, removed all of the bulk oil that was accessible at that time. Since then, the ship's structure has continued to deteriorate, causing previously inaccessible fuel tanks to collapse. This new state of deterioration poses a significant risk of releasing a large amount of oil into the marine environment.

While the current amount of fuel upwelling from the shipwreck is minimal, the Canadian Coast Guard is taking action now to prevent long-term damage to areas of significant cultural value and to the marine environment.

Resolve Marine will use a process called "hot tapping" to reduce the volume of fuel in the tanks. First, drainage valves are attached to the hull, then a hose will be connected to the valves and the fuel will be pumped out into holding tanks on a barge. The hot-tap method has been used successfully on shipwrecks for many years, including during the Canadian Coast Guard's successful response to the historic Nootka Sound shipwreck, the MV Schiedyk, in 2021. Given the nature of the operation, there is a small risk of a release of oil while draining. Canadian Coast Guard personnel are on-site and ready to respond if needed.

Work is scheduled to begin in mid October and is expected to take several weeks.

Quick Facts

• The 77-metre M.G. Zalinski was a built in 1919 as a cargo ship. In 1941, the ship was employed by the United States Department of War.
  
  
• In 1946, the M.G. Zalinski struck a rocky outcrop on Pitt Island while transiting from Seattle to Whittier, Alaska. The ship took on water and sank in 20 minutes. The crew of 48 persons were rescued by the tug Sally N and the passenger steamer SS Catala. The shipwreck now sits on a rock ledge approximately 30-40 metres below the water in Grenville Channel.
  
  
• Grenville Channel is part of the famed Inside Passage and is known for very strong currents, tides and weather patterns. These conditions, and the location of the ship on a rocky shelf, present a significant safety risk to responders and the Canadian Coast Guard is taking these factors in to account as the response is actioned.
  
  
• Gitga'at and Gitxaala First Nations hold invaluable knowledge of the waters and lands in the area near the historic wreck and that expertise has been incorporated into the response plan. Along with the Canadian Coast Guard, members of the Nations will form part of the Unified Command during the response.

Associated links

Canadian Coast Guard Marine Hazards and Environmental Response program

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels

Stay Connected

• Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region

Contacts: Jean-Christophe Armstrong, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, [email protected]; Media Relations: Canadian Coast Guard, Western Region, 250-508-2038, [email protected]