MV Zim Kingston's lost cargo containers still a deep concern for Vancouver Island communities
CTV
Vancouver Island MPs and residents are raising concerns about ocean protection and spill response after debris from shipping containers lost by MV Zim Kingston still appears to be washing ashore months after the cargo vessel caught fire in stormy weather.
The ship lost 109 shipping containers, two of which contained hazardous chemicals, in heavy seas off Victoria on Oct. 23, 2021.
“There are a lot of shipping containers still in the water,” said North Island MP Rachel Blaney on Tuesday, adding only four containers have been located so far.
“We're not sure where they are and what's inside of them, so a lot of constituents are very concerned and brought it to my attention.”
Blaney is sharing those concerns with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, whose office is leading consultations to develop the federal government's Oceans Protection Program.
Debris created by lost containers in the incident, and others like it, and the resulting environmental impacts on the region's marine ecosystem and wildlife are people's top priorities when it comes to ocean protection, Blaney said.
One of the primary problems is neither communities nor MPs have specifics on what was lost at sea, which could result in potential hazards for community groups cleaning beaches, harm to wildlife, or the inability to hold the shipping company accountable for the cleanup.
“We need to know what was on the ship's manifest and what's in the water,” Blaney said, adding it's likely the debris will be landing on island shores for years.
Piles of twisted and soaked blue synthetic material and twisted plastic wrapping were collected during the latest cleanup at Cape Palmerston Beach on northwest Vancouver Island on Feb. 12, said Ashley Tapp of Epic Exeo, a non-profit shoreline cleanup group.
