Cleaning up torched Queen of Sidney could take years, millions of dollars, experts say

The former Queen of Sidney was retired from BC Ferries' fleet in 2000, and has been more on the Fraser River in Mission since it was sold in 2002 to Gerald Tapp.

Cleaning up the wreckage of a derelict former B.C. ferry that went up in flames this weekend could take years and millions of dollars, experts say.

The former Queen of Sidney was retired from BC Ferries’ fleet in 2000, and has been more on the Fraser River in Mission since it was sold in 2002 to Gerald Tapp.

On Saturday morning, it was consumed by flames, sending a massive column of toxic smoke into the air and forcing hundreds of people to shelter in place.

The wreck now represents a potentially significant environmental hazard.

But cleaning it up could prove both time-consuming and difficult, according to the B.C.-based Dead Boad Disposal Society.

Group co-founder John Roe said if the vessel is not sinking or leaking the Coast Guard will hand it off to Transport Canada.

“They will do an assessment and then they will look for money from the federal government to fix this,” he said.

“You are looking at probably $15 million to $20 million.”