Environmental impact of sunken tug to be shared after investigation completed

BELLA BELLA, B.C. – The federal government says it can't comment on the environmental impact of a diesel spill off British Columbia's central coast even as the removal of the sunken tug responsible for the fuel release faces delays.

The Nathan E. Stewart tugboat ran aground and sank into the Seaforth Channel about 28 kilometres from Bella Bella last month.

Earlier this week, the local Heiltsuk Nation said federal ministries were withholding important analytic data from early environmental samples taken at the site — data it said could inform decisions about the community's health and environment.

The federal environment ministry issued a statement Saturday saying evidence will not be shared with spill response partners while the investigation is ongoing to protect the integrity of the work.

The ministry says it will only release information during the investigation if the evidence reveals a serious risk to the environment or human health and safety.

The latest incident report from the site says the removal of the tug initially slated for Saturday is facing delays as crews reconfigure the barge that will eventually carry out the boat.

Environment Canada has issued a storm warning for the region calling for high winds Saturday afternoon, which could further complicate the raising of the tug.