A fuel tank leak from a commercial flatbed truck onboard a BC Ferry resulted in an emergency return to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal on Thursday morning.
The Queen of New Westminster was on its way to Duke Point for its first sailing of the day when the leak was detected.
“It was a flatbed truck with a generator and diesel tank on the back. It was found the fuel tank line was pinched, which caused the fuel to leak,” explained BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall. “The crew used drip trays and absorbent pads to contain the fuel. They also closed the scuppers on the car deck right away to prevent any fuel from entering the environment.
“The ship turned around and headed back to Tsawwassen to unload the vehicle in question and then depart again.”
Delta fire and hazmat crews were called to the terminal to clean up the diesel residue.
“As the BC Ferry crews were working on containing the spill we responded a single unit routine (Hazmat-7),” explained Delta Fire Deputy Chief Brad Wilson. “Once Hazmat-7 got on scene they assisted in mitigating the incident. BC Ferry is responsible to contact a remediation company to remove the product from site. Delta Environmental was also informed of the incident. Hazmat -7 cleared the scene and returned to quarters.”
The incident caused a significant delay to the Queen of New Westminster’s schedule. The 10:15 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen was cancelled as was the 12:45 p.m. from Duke Point.
