Samson V source of oil spotted along Quayside waterfront Thursday

The City of New Westminster confirms the Samson V will be closed until further notice after oil was spotted along the Quayside waterfront yesterday afternoon.

According to a statement from the City of New Westminster, the source of the oil was traced back to the Samson V.

“The oil appears to have originated from the old fuel tanks of the Samson V, an historic steam-powered sternwheeler that now serves as a museum,” reads the statement. “The Coast Guard, along with Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) have cleaned up all the oil from the river.”

The leak occurred after fuel made its way from the fuel tanks into the ship’s bilge. It was then pumped outside the vessel. “The bilge pumps have been turned off to ensure no more oil is pumped from the ship. The ship’s hull is sound and there is no current water ingress. WCMRC have also placed booms around the vessel as a further precaution.”

The next steps include figuring out how much fuel is left, with the city stating it will take measures to “mitigate any further leaks into the bilge.”

When The Anchor asked how the costs of the fuel would be covered, a spokesperson with the city said that the City of New West would be footing the bill, adding that it will come from the capital budget for the Samson V’s maintenance.

An insurance claim will also be filed.

The Samson V was recently a point of discussion at various city council meetings, including on Apr. 3 when Coun. Daniel Fontaine put forward a motion related to the vessel after its roof was damaged by pigeon poop.

The motion asked staff to report back on costs, possible funding sources, and operational impacts of putting the Samson V in dry dock for repairing and restoring. Part of the motion also asked that staff reach out to the Fraser River Discovery Centre and “other stakeholders” to see how the waterfront can be used if the Samson V ended up in repairs.

Fontaine also spoke about taking cues from staff and council’s previous visit to the City of North Vancouver, to see if there were other ways to optimize our local waters.

The April motion was defeated 5-2 with only Couns. Paul Minhas and Fontaine supporting it.

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