The U.S.-based Ocean Exploration Trust, owners of the research vessel EV Nautilus, will be on the hook for an estimated $10,000 after an oil spill near Ogden Point this week.
Ocean Exploration Trust spokeswoman Allison Fundis said the company expects the bill to be about $10,000.
“Our primary focus since the incident has been to mitigate the impact to the local environment, and we are continuing to assess the total cost associated with the response and cleanup,” she said.
The spill, released from a shore-side generator being leased by Nautilus, was detected Monday morning and the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation was activated to clean up the spill.
It was contained by 4 p.m. that day.
To deal with the spill, the Nautilus’s crew deployed its pollution control equipment, including temporary booms, mats and dispersant, and the coast guard boomed off the area to contain it.
The Western Canada Marine Response Corporation was brought in when the spill was deemed to be land based and larger than expected. An estimated 20 litres of oil spilled.
The cleanup company deployed two vessels and five crew to the scene at 3:30 p.m. and released booms to contain the spill. The equipment was removed Wednesday afternoon.
While Western Canada Marine Response Corporation said it is a “polluter-pay” situation, it would not divulge the final cost of cleanup.
