On May 8, 2016, a spud barge that contained between 20,000 to 30,000 litres of diesel fuel broke free of its mooring and blew aground in a small bay in Esquimalt Harbour. The spill was first reported by members of the local community, and was initially boomed and contained by a Harbour Master with the Department of National Defence.
WCMRC deployed additional boom to contain the spill at the source and began cleanup operations. WCMRC’s team worked through the night and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique teams were deployed the next day. The operation involved close collaboration with the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations, on whose territories the spill occurred. On-water cleanup was completed two days later on May 11. Approximately 27,000 litres of product was estimated to have been recovered.