Charges laid in Robson Bight sinking

Gazette staff

Charges have been laid in the sinking of several vehicles in Robson Bight last summer.

Campbell River’s Gowlland Towing Ltd., logging contractor Ted LeRoy Trucking Ltd. and the tugboat master face a number of pollution-related charges and are scheduled to appear in Provincial Court in Campbell River July 21.

Eleven pieces of logging equipment fell off a barge that listed while being towed last August. The equipment remains on the bottom of Robson Bight and environmental groups fear fuel from a 10,000-litre fuel truck and other equipment could leak into the waters as the vehicles corrode.

The federal and provincial governments have issued a request for proposal for a salvage operation to recover the equipment but have not contracted with a company yet.

At a Port McNeill council meeting Monday night, Coun. Don Willson suggested the council use their political advantage to insist the provincial and federal governments take action to remove the equipment from the bight and prepare better for possible future disasters.

“We should really push for containment equipment to be located up here,” said Willson. “It’s about four hours from Port McNeill right now.”