The B.C. and federal governments plan to salvage pieces of equipment that sank to the bottom of Robson Bight off Vancouver Island in a barge accident last summer.

The plan was announced Friday by B.C. Environment Minister Barry Penner and Loyola Hearn, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Robson Bight is an ecological reserve for killer whales situated on the northeast region of Vancouver Island.

On Aug. 20, 2007, a barge carrying vehicles and forestry equipment tipped over, dumping 11 pieces of equipment to the bottom of the ocean inside the protected area.

Recent video footage of the sunken equipment shows the vehicles are mostly upright and relatively undamaged, and do not appear to be leaking.

The reserve is so important that the two levels of government felt it necessary to work together on the salvage project, said Penner.

"Working in co-operation with the federal government, we have determined that this is the best way to proceed," said Penner in a prepared statement.

"As with any salvage operation, there will be risks involved but we want to retrieve the equipment as soon as possible while minimizing potential impacts to orcas and other wildlife."

"Recognizing how ecologically sensitive Robson Bight is, it's important for our two levels of government to work together, so we can remove the major risk of future pollution in Robson Bight from the barge incident," said Hearn, also in a prepared statement.

The B.C. Ministry of Environment signed contracts with technical experts to provide additional analysis of the equipment in Robson Bight. This helped the two levels of government assess the risks posed by the equipment and identify options for its mitigation. 


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