Cleaning up torched Queen of Sidney could take years, millions of dollars, experts say

Cleaning up the wreckage of a derelict former B.C. ferry that went up in flames this weekend could take years and millions of dollars, experts say.

The former Queen of Sidney was retired from BC Ferries’ fleet in 2000, and has been moored on the Fraser River in Mission since it was sold in 2002 to Gerald Tapp.

On Saturday morning, it was consumed by flames, sending a massive column of toxic smoke into the air and forcing hundreds of people to shelter in place.

1:59 Derelict Queen of Sidney ferry burns in overnight fire

The wreck now represents a potentially significant environmental hazard.

But cleaning it up could prove both time-consuming and difficult, according to the B.C.-based Dead Boats Disposal Society.

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Group co-founder John Roe said if the vessel is not sinking or leaking the Coast Guard will hand it off to Transport Canada.

“They will do an assessment and then they will look for money from the federal government to fix this,” he said.

“You are looking at probably $15 million to $20 million.”

1:38 Residents asked to stay indoors after fire guts derelict ferry in B.C.’s Fraser River

The District of Mission has been trying to deal with the ferry’s owners for years, but with no luck.

Roe said Transport Canada will try and recover the cleanup costs from the vessel’s owner through the courts, but that taxpayers will likely end up footing the bill.

In a statement, the federal government said a 2023 inspection of the vessel found no significant pollutants on board. Inspectors are now conducting an on-water inspection from a pollution and public safety standpoint.

Further complicating the process is that British Columbia lacks the facilities to properly deal with vessels like the Queen of Sidney — meaning it is often easier for owners to abandon them than to properly dispose of them.

“This is a symptom of a bigger problem. We don’t have any certified deconstruction facilities on the coast,” said Joe Spears, principal of Horseshoe Bay Marine Group.

“We need to build a facility where you can deal with all the toxic substances.”

Spears said Ottawa’s last survey of derelict vessels in Canada found some 1,700 nationwide, with about 70 per cent in British Columbia alone.

“It’s the owner’s responsibility, this ‘polluter pays,’ but if the owner isn’t able to deal with this, then it’s up to the government of Canada,” he said.

Mission’s mayor plans to introduce an emergency motion at council on Monday in an effort to pressure senior levels of government to take action.