A charred vehicle destroyed by a “suspicious fire” sat abandoned for several days inside Goldstream Provincial Park while officials decided who would pay for the cleanup.
Langford towing company Westshore Towing – who was called to remove the vehicle Friday (May 29) – said they were unable to move the car until someone took financial responsibility.
“There’s such an environmental impact where it sits, that once we touch it we could be responsible for the environmental cleanup,” said owner Dave LeQuesne in an interview May 30. “Because of the severity of the cleanup, we have to get permission from ICBC before they’ll allow us to bill them for that cleanup.”
According to LeQuesne, the car was located on First Nations land within the park, roughly 10 to 15 feet from a river. Oil and gas spilled from the car had been contained underneath the car and around it. However, LeQuesne was unsure if any liquids remained in the vehicle’s tanks, which posed a further risk of environmental contamination if they ruptured when it was removed.
“It’s actually sitting in the river bed, but that part of the river bed is dry because the water level has dropped down,” said LeQuesne. “If we touch it and do not clean it up correctly, then we’re on the hook – it could be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We don’t get paid enough from the insurance companies to take that risk.”
He said Westshore Towing informed ICBC, BC Parks and the Ministry of Environment and Parks of the situation, but clear direction about next steps were slow to come.
The Ministry of Environment and Parks said in a statement June 2, the “small Honda Civic-type car” is believed to have been stolen prior to the fire.
With an estimated fuel capacity between 45 and 60 litres, the ministry said it is likely any fuel held by the car was “largely consumed during the fire.”
“As a result, the incident posed a low environmental risk and impacts were assessed as minimal,” they said.
According to the ministry, ICBC authorized removal of the vehicle from the site Monday afternoon (June 1), and an environmental consultant has been retained to assess any residual impacts.
“All incidents involving vehicles in waterways are escalated for urgent review for consistent risk assessment and to address environmental impacts, coordinate with relevant agencies, and prioritize safe vehicle removal,” said a statement from ICBC.
LeQuesne confirmed Westshore Towing is scheduled to remove the car June 3, with First Nations representatives in attendance.
He said delays of this nature are not uncommon for towing companies across B.C. and he believes ICBC should have better systems in place to deal with similar situations.
Among his suggestions are a 24-hour emergency contact line for tow operators and a contingency fund to cover vehicle removals while ownership and liability are being investigated.
For a typical roadside pickup, Westshore Towing would remove the vehicle, with road maintenance company Emcon Services on hand to cleanup if necessary, explains LeQuesne.
In this case, the car’s location inside Goldstream Park near a river, difficulty locating the vehicle identification number and its suspected stolen status, complicated matters and delayed an immediate decision.
The B.C.’s Spill Cost Recovery Regulation under the Environmental Management Act says any individual or company responsible for a hazardous material spill is responsible for all costs associated with clean up, including any costs incurred by the province.
“It’s not that we don’t care or that we don’t want to do the job – our hands are tied,” said LeQuesne May 30.
The car was discovered Friday morning (May 29) by Langford Fire, who were called out shortly after 7 a.m. When crews arrived, the fire was almost extinguished, with only a “shell left.” “It only took a couple of buckets of water to put it out,” said Fire Chief Chris Aubrey. “There wasn’t much fire.”
Aubrey suspects the car could have been burning for some time before crews arrived. With no properties nearby, and no call from any distressed driver about their burning car, Aubrey said it is difficult to know when the fire started.
“It could have been burning for some time – maybe an hour or so – definitely some time in the night,” he said.
The incident was then handed over to West Shore RCMP, who told the Goldstream Gazette the vehicle fire is suspicious and that an investigation is still underway.
Media relations officer Cpl. Nancy Saggar said she could not confirm if the vehicle is stolen.