B.C. First Nation angered by federal minister’s response to downed tug

Oct 26, 2016 | 8:15 PM

BELLA BELLA, B.C. — Members of a First Nation on British Columbia’s central coast say they’re angered and dismayed by a federal minister’s response to a fuel spill in the area.

Fisheries and Oceans minister Dominic LeBlanc has issued a statement saying crews have finished pumping oil from a sunken tug boat near Bella Bella, B.C., and are now turning their attention to removing the Nathan E. Stewart from the waters.

The statement says environmental monitoring and shoreline cleanup are also underway.

But Marilyn Slett, chief of the Heiltsuk Nation, says in a release that there is an extensive amount of work to be done, and it’s still unclear what environmental impact the fuel spill has had on the area.