Residents concerned about derelict vessels in Howe Sound

WATCH: There’s another fuel leak…much smaller, but still troubling in Howe Sound. Residents spotted it a few days ago when a 30-foot pleasure boat sank in Blind Channel. Jill Bennett explains what happened, and why residents aren’t satisfied with the Coast Guard’s response.

The Mamquam Blind Channel off Squamish has become home to a number of derelict boats, and some local residents have had enough.

Just last week, another boat sank in the channel: a 28-foot pleasure craft that was moored next to a makeshift home. An email from a Fisheries and Oceans Canada communications advisor states:

“Coast Guard Auxiliary attended the scene and verified there was no fuel on board the vessel and no pollution present.”

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But a video shows concerned residents cleaning the water after the sinking and there appeared to be a sheen on the water’s surface for days after the boat sank.

“The first responders here are usually search and rescue…but they have no cleanup capacity so ,” says Lesson. “I don’t believe even the Coast Guard has a mandate for cleanup. Again we’ve got people observing and reporting the spills but there’s no actual cleanup.”

The Coast Guard put out a boom last year when the tugboat Elf sank and spilled fuel, but Leeson says the cleanup wasn’t thorough enough. He wants the marina to be stocked with booms and other cleanup materials so when there are spills, he and other residents can respond.

“Some of the local marina owners are on board with storing it at their facility.. and then we would just deploy it and clean it ourselves.”

WATCH: Environmental concerns in Squamish harbour

The District of Squamish has been working on a marine strategy since 2011 that would give it more say over derelict boats and pollution. But with other agencies involved including Transport Canada, the Coast Guard and private owners, it will take a while. That has some locals wondering how many more boats will be left to sink in the meantime.

-with files from Jill Bennett