The 71-year-old’s videos, posted on her blog, showed Deep Water Recovery dismantling old barges and other vessels at its site in Union Bay, B.C. — a violation, activists say, of regional and provincial zoning regulations that jeopardizes a environmentally sensitive area rich in oysters.
Locals are upset that Deep Water Recovery has continued to operate, despite a cease and desist order from the province. Deep Water and some of its people were, in turn, upset by Reynolds’ many overflights.
Once, she claims in a civil suit, a “volatile and out of control” man grabbed her drone out of the air and confronted her, yelling obscenities and calling her a troublemaker.
“I came back with a bite at him,” Reynolds told CBC News with a laugh.
“It’s just. It’s weird. It’s absolutely weird,” he said of the June 11 incident.
Mary Reynolds flew her drone over the shipwreck for a friend, gathering footage of the operation. (Robert Kerr)
Reynolds says the drone was returned to her porch three days later because a memory card was missing.
In a countersuit, company director Mark Jurisich denies Reynold’s accusations, claiming she engaged in a “malicious campaign” of stalking and harassment in an attempt to shut down his business.
These are just some of the accusations that have been exchanged in recent years between the company and local activists who do not want shipbreaking to continue in their backyard. It’s an industry known worldwide to have the potential to pollute shores with harmful substances like asbestos and PCBs and for which, experts warn, Canada needs to legislate clearly.
Legal experts say the dispute has exposed loopholes in Canadian shipwreck law that may end up being handled by regional governments. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) lobbied against Deep Water Recovery shortly after seeing the first ships break up two years ago off the coast of nearby Baynes Sound, the channel that runs between Vancouver Island and Denman Island.
“It’s an ecological area that needs protection,” said Ray Rewcastle, president of CCOBS.
“We are proud of our coasts, why would we allow this to happen?”
Local campaigner Ray Rewcastle says the coastline near Union Bay is an “ecological area in need of protection”. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
“Mish-mash” of jurisdictions
Environmental lawyer Carla Conkin says CCOBS is fighting a do-it-yourself operation that wrecks BC barges and ferries on the beach without a dock or other internationally accepted safety protocols for breaking up ships to prevent pollution or escaping toxins. Conkin says the site also disturbed a creek and there were concerns about workers living on the site in a trailer. “These guys are flying by the seat of their pants on the beach, basically dismantling large-sized boats,” he said. “Nobody pays attention to what happens to ships when they die and have to be dealt with.” Deep Water Recovery denies the allegations. Neither Jurisich nor his lawyer agreed to be interviewed by CBC News. Old ships moored in Union Bay at the Deep Water Recovery site on May 10. (Curt Petrovich/CBC) Jurisich he recently told The Tyee plays a vital role in the marine recycling industry and that it has always followed the rules. He told the online magazine that Deep Water has dismantled 13 or 14 ships. His lawyer, in the same article, vowed to “vigorously defend” the company. Conkin says part of the problem in Union Bay is the complicated “mish mash” of the levels of government involved.
‘Pretty slippery’
The site is overseen by the province, which manages the shoreline, while the regional district oversees the upland portion of the beach. The federal government, meanwhile, oversees ships, transportation and the environment. Conkin says the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is not “adequate” to deal with shipbreaking issues, and after looking at how the site’s use has changed, she says she believes the province has been manipulated. “It’s pretty slippery,” he said. The ships are seen docked at Deep Water Recovery on August 15. (Submitted by Mary Reynolds) Deep Water Recovery arrived when it took over a company called Union Bay Industries and its 30-year log recovery license. But the company then switched to scrapping ships, asking in 2019 the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development to allow vessels to be moved and stored for repair and recycling. Instead, provincial regulators worked with the company and wrote it a new permit allowing the ships to move up the coast so they could be dismantled at the higher part of the site – which falls under the provincial government’s jurisdiction. This company’s lease on the land expires in 2038. Workers carry a rope to secure a decommissioned ship at the Alang shipyard in the western Indian state of Gujarat, March 27, 2015. (Amit Dave/Reuters) Deep Water “stepped into the shoes of this log sorting company and then slipped up to get lease modifications to allow shipbreaking,” Conkin said. “The company was capitalizing on the different levels of governance and how they don’t coordinate with each other.” Canada has no federal ship breaking rules. The industry here is small but key to countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which feed recycled steel back into their economies. A worker uses a cutting torch to dismantle the hull of a barge at the Galloo ship recycling plant in Ghent, Europe’s largest ship recycling plant, in 2015. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters) Canadian owners used to ship their old boats overseas, but towing has become expensive and environmental rules now restrict some exports. Transport Canada says regulations across the country are under review. However, in the meantime, it also lists a total of 47,321 ships registered in Canada, – including 3,054 large ships, over 100 gross tonnage – that will all have to be broken up at some point. In March 2021 report commissioned by Transport Canada says Canada is well below the capacity it needs to deal with ships reaching the end of their lives between 2021 and 2030. The industry is high-risk and expensive — dismantling a passenger ferry can cost more than $2 million, says Wayne Elliott, founder of Marine Recycling Corp., Canada’s largest shipyard. His company operates a shipyard in Campbell River, BC, and is building a new site in Port Mellon. He says he considered settling on the Union Bay site, but passed on it because of the ecologically sensitive location and proximity to people’s homes. A barge crashed into Vancouver’s seawall during the November 2021 storm and ran aground on Sunset Beach, where it remains, a visible reminder of the need for more salvage and shipbreaking experts in Canada. (Ben Nelms/CBC) “That made us decide it wasn’t worth continuing,” Elliott said. An international advocacy group says Canada should stop all non-docking of ships to contain pollutants. Belgium-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform says Deep Water Recovery’s plan to break up the NOAAS Miller Freeman – a former US research vessel – poses risks as the ship is filled with toxic paint and asbestos. The NGO’s Nicola Mulinaris says what’s happening in Union Bay is “truly shocking” and a good case for strengthening industrial standards in Canada. The province issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 17, requiring Deep Water to cease all shipbreaking activities. But that didn’t happen. Likewise, the CVRD on April 14 filed a notice of civil action to cease operations, alleging a zoning violation. But the company continued to dismantle ships. This process is still ongoing in court. By August 24, district officials said they were seeking a permanent injunction to halt operations. In his response to the order, Jurisich claims the district was aware of the company’s intention to break up the ship and only reversed the approval in “bad faith” for political reasons. The Comox Valley Regional District declined to comment for this story. The K’ómoks First Nation, whose traditional territory Deep Water operates, also declined to comment, but in an earlier statement said the site is “an environmental disaster waiting to happen.” The environment ministry said in a statement that it “continues to investigate” concerns about pollution in Union Bay, but officials did not agree to be interviewed. This Union Bay location on the east side of Vancouver Island, north of Denman Island, has been a log sorting operation for 30 years. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
title: “Controversy In Bc Exposes Cracks In Canada S Shipbreaking Regulations Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Alan Seal”
The 71-year-old’s videos, posted on her blog, showed Deep Water Recovery dismantling old barges and other vessels at its site in Union Bay, B.C. — a violation, activists say, of regional and provincial zoning regulations that jeopardizes a environmentally sensitive area rich in oysters.
Locals are upset that Deep Water Recovery has continued to operate, despite a cease and desist order from the province. Deep Water and some of its people were, in turn, upset by Reynolds’ many overflights.
Once, she claims in a civil suit, a “volatile and out of control” man grabbed her drone out of the air and confronted her, yelling obscenities and calling her a troublemaker.
“I came back with a bite at him,” Reynolds told CBC News with a laugh.
“It’s just. It’s weird. It’s absolutely weird,” he said of the June 11 incident.
Mary Reynolds flew her drone over the shipwreck for a friend, gathering footage of the operation. (Robert Kerr)
Reynolds says the drone was returned to her porch three days later because a memory card was missing.
In a countersuit, company director Mark Jurisich denies Reynold’s accusations, claiming she engaged in a “malicious campaign” of stalking and harassment in an attempt to shut down his business.
These are just some of the accusations that have been exchanged in recent years between the company and local activists who do not want shipbreaking to continue in their backyard. It’s an industry known worldwide to have the potential to pollute shores with harmful substances like asbestos and PCBs and for which, experts warn, Canada needs to legislate clearly.
Legal experts say the dispute has exposed loopholes in Canadian shipwreck law that may end up being handled by regional governments. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) lobbied against Deep Water Recovery shortly after seeing the first ships break up two years ago off the coast of nearby Baynes Sound, the channel that runs between Vancouver Island and Denman Island.
“It’s an ecological area that needs protection,” said Ray Rewcastle, president of CCOBS.
“We are proud of our coasts, why would we allow this to happen?”
Local campaigner Ray Rewcastle says the coastline near Union Bay is an “ecological area in need of protection”. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
“Mish-mash” of jurisdictions
Environmental lawyer Carla Conkin says CCOBS is fighting a do-it-yourself operation that wrecks BC barges and ferries on the beach without a dock or other internationally accepted safety protocols for breaking up ships to prevent pollution or escaping toxins. Conkin says the site also disturbed a creek and there were concerns about workers living on the site in a trailer. “These guys are flying by the seat of their pants on the beach, basically dismantling large-sized boats,” he said. “Nobody pays attention to what happens to ships when they die and have to be dealt with.” Deep Water Recovery denies the allegations. Neither Jurisich nor his lawyer agreed to be interviewed by CBC News. Old ships moored in Union Bay at the Deep Water Recovery site on May 10. (Curt Petrovich/CBC) Jurisich he recently told The Tyee plays a vital role in the marine recycling industry and that it has always followed the rules. He told the online magazine that Deep Water has dismantled 13 or 14 ships. His lawyer, in the same article, vowed to “vigorously defend” the company. Conkin says part of the problem in Union Bay is the complicated “mish mash” of the levels of government involved.
‘Pretty slippery’
The site is overseen by the province, which manages the shoreline, while the regional district oversees the upland portion of the beach. The federal government, meanwhile, oversees ships, transportation and the environment. Conkin says the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is not “adequate” to deal with shipbreaking issues, and after looking at how the site’s use has changed, she says she believes the province has been manipulated. “It’s pretty slippery,” he said. The ships are seen docked at Deep Water Recovery on August 15. (Submitted by Mary Reynolds) Deep Water Recovery arrived when it took over a company called Union Bay Industries and its 30-year log recovery license. But the company then switched to scrapping ships, asking in 2019 the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development to allow vessels to be moved and stored for repair and recycling. Instead, provincial regulators worked with the company and wrote it a new permit allowing the ships to move up the coast so they could be dismantled at the higher part of the site – which falls under the provincial government’s jurisdiction. This company’s lease on the land expires in 2038. Workers carry a rope to secure a decommissioned ship at the Alang shipyard in the western Indian state of Gujarat, March 27, 2015. (Amit Dave/Reuters) Deep Water “stepped into the shoes of this log sorting company and then slipped up to get lease modifications to allow shipbreaking,” Conkin said. “The company was capitalizing on the different levels of governance and how they don’t coordinate with each other.” Canada has no federal ship breaking rules. The industry here is small but key to countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which feed recycled steel back into their economies. A worker uses a cutting torch to dismantle the hull of a barge at the Galloo ship recycling plant in Ghent, Europe’s largest ship recycling plant, in 2015. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters) Canadian owners used to ship their old boats overseas, but towing has become expensive and environmental rules now restrict some exports. Transport Canada says regulations across the country are under review. However, in the meantime, it also lists a total of 47,321 ships registered in Canada, – including 3,054 large ships, over 100 gross tonnage – that will all have to be broken up at some point. In March 2021 report commissioned by Transport Canada says Canada is well below the capacity it needs to deal with ships reaching the end of their lives between 2021 and 2030. The industry is high-risk and expensive — dismantling a passenger ferry can cost more than $2 million, says Wayne Elliott, founder of Marine Recycling Corp., Canada’s largest shipyard. His company operates a shipyard in Campbell River, BC, and is building a new site in Port Mellon. He says he considered settling on the Union Bay site, but passed on it because of the ecologically sensitive location and proximity to people’s homes. A barge crashed into Vancouver’s seawall during the November 2021 storm and ran aground on Sunset Beach, where it remains, a visible reminder of the need for more salvage and shipbreaking experts in Canada. (Ben Nelms/CBC) “That made us decide it wasn’t worth continuing,” Elliott said. An international advocacy group says Canada should stop all non-docking of ships to contain pollutants. Belgium-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform says Deep Water Recovery’s plan to break up the NOAAS Miller Freeman – a former US research vessel – poses risks as the ship is filled with toxic paint and asbestos. The NGO’s Nicola Mulinaris says what’s happening in Union Bay is “truly shocking” and a good case for strengthening industrial standards in Canada. The province issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 17, requiring Deep Water to cease all shipbreaking activities. But that didn’t happen. Likewise, the CVRD on April 14 filed a notice of civil action to cease operations, alleging a zoning violation. But the company continued to dismantle ships. This process is still ongoing in court. By August 24, district officials said they were seeking a permanent injunction to halt operations. In his response to the order, Jurisich claims the district was aware of the company’s intention to break up the ship and only reversed the approval in “bad faith” for political reasons. The Comox Valley Regional District declined to comment for this story. The K’ómoks First Nation, whose traditional territory Deep Water operates, also declined to comment, but in an earlier statement said the site is “an environmental disaster waiting to happen.” The environment ministry said in a statement that it “continues to investigate” concerns about pollution in Union Bay, but officials did not agree to be interviewed. This Union Bay location on the east side of Vancouver Island, north of Denman Island, has been a log sorting operation for 30 years. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
title: “Controversy In Bc Exposes Cracks In Canada S Shipbreaking Regulations Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Anita Klein”
The 71-year-old’s videos, posted on her blog, showed Deep Water Recovery dismantling old barges and other vessels at its site in Union Bay, B.C. — a violation, activists say, of regional and provincial zoning regulations that jeopardizes a environmentally sensitive area rich in oysters.
Locals are upset that Deep Water Recovery has continued to operate, despite a cease and desist order from the province. Deep Water and some of its people were, in turn, upset by Reynolds’ many overflights.
Once, she claims in a civil suit, a “volatile and out of control” man grabbed her drone out of the air and confronted her, yelling obscenities and calling her a troublemaker.
“I came back with a bite at him,” Reynolds told CBC News with a laugh.
“It’s just. It’s weird. It’s absolutely weird,” he said of the June 11 incident.
Mary Reynolds flew her drone over the shipwreck for a friend, gathering footage of the operation. (Robert Kerr)
Reynolds says the drone was returned to her porch three days later because a memory card was missing.
In a countersuit, company director Mark Jurisich denies Reynold’s accusations, claiming she engaged in a “malicious campaign” of stalking and harassment in an attempt to shut down his business.
These are just some of the accusations that have been exchanged in recent years between the company and local activists who do not want shipbreaking to continue in their backyard. It’s an industry known worldwide to have the potential to pollute shores with harmful substances like asbestos and PCBs and for which, experts warn, Canada needs to legislate clearly.
Legal experts say the dispute has exposed loopholes in Canadian shipwreck law that may end up being handled by regional governments. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) lobbied against Deep Water Recovery shortly after seeing the first ships break up two years ago off the coast of nearby Baynes Sound, the channel that runs between Vancouver Island and Denman Island.
“It’s an ecological area that needs protection,” said Ray Rewcastle, president of CCOBS.
“We are proud of our coasts, why would we allow this to happen?”
Local campaigner Ray Rewcastle says the coastline near Union Bay is an “ecological area in need of protection”. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
“Mish-mash” of jurisdictions
Environmental lawyer Carla Conkin says CCOBS is fighting a do-it-yourself operation that wrecks BC barges and ferries on the beach without a dock or other internationally accepted safety protocols for breaking up ships to prevent pollution or escaping toxins. Conkin says the site also disturbed a creek and there were concerns about workers living on the site in a trailer. “These guys are flying by the seat of their pants on the beach, basically dismantling large-sized boats,” he said. “Nobody pays attention to what happens to ships when they die and have to be dealt with.” Deep Water Recovery denies the allegations. Neither Jurisich nor his lawyer agreed to be interviewed by CBC News. Old ships moored in Union Bay at the Deep Water Recovery site on May 10. (Curt Petrovich/CBC) Jurisich he recently told The Tyee plays a vital role in the marine recycling industry and that it has always followed the rules. He told the online magazine that Deep Water has dismantled 13 or 14 ships. His lawyer, in the same article, vowed to “vigorously defend” the company. Conkin says part of the problem in Union Bay is the complicated “mish mash” of the levels of government involved.
‘Pretty slippery’
The site is overseen by the province, which manages the shoreline, while the regional district oversees the upland portion of the beach. The federal government, meanwhile, oversees ships, transportation and the environment. Conkin says the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is not “adequate” to deal with shipbreaking issues, and after looking at how the site’s use has changed, she says she believes the province has been manipulated. “It’s pretty slippery,” he said. The ships are seen docked at Deep Water Recovery on August 15. (Submitted by Mary Reynolds) Deep Water Recovery arrived when it took over a company called Union Bay Industries and its 30-year log recovery license. But the company then switched to scrapping ships, asking in 2019 the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development to allow vessels to be moved and stored for repair and recycling. Instead, provincial regulators worked with the company and wrote it a new permit allowing the ships to move up the coast so they could be dismantled at the higher part of the site – which falls under the provincial government’s jurisdiction. This company’s lease on the land expires in 2038. Workers carry a rope to secure a decommissioned ship at the Alang shipyard in the western Indian state of Gujarat, March 27, 2015. (Amit Dave/Reuters) Deep Water “stepped into the shoes of this log sorting company and then slipped up to get lease modifications to allow shipbreaking,” Conkin said. “The company was capitalizing on the different levels of governance and how they don’t coordinate with each other.” Canada has no federal ship breaking rules. The industry here is small but key to countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which feed recycled steel back into their economies. A worker uses a cutting torch to dismantle the hull of a barge at the Galloo ship recycling plant in Ghent, Europe’s largest ship recycling plant, in 2015. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters) Canadian owners used to ship their old boats overseas, but towing has become expensive and environmental rules now restrict some exports. Transport Canada says regulations across the country are under review. However, in the meantime, it also lists a total of 47,321 ships registered in Canada, – including 3,054 large ships, over 100 gross tonnage – that will all have to be broken up at some point. In March 2021 report commissioned by Transport Canada says Canada is well below the capacity it needs to deal with ships reaching the end of their lives between 2021 and 2030. The industry is high-risk and expensive — dismantling a passenger ferry can cost more than $2 million, says Wayne Elliott, founder of Marine Recycling Corp., Canada’s largest shipyard. His company operates a shipyard in Campbell River, BC, and is building a new site in Port Mellon. He says he considered settling on the Union Bay site, but passed on it because of the ecologically sensitive location and proximity to people’s homes. A barge crashed into Vancouver’s seawall during the November 2021 storm and ran aground on Sunset Beach, where it remains, a visible reminder of the need for more salvage and shipbreaking experts in Canada. (Ben Nelms/CBC) “That made us decide it wasn’t worth continuing,” Elliott said. An international advocacy group says Canada should stop all non-docking of ships to contain pollutants. Belgium-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform says Deep Water Recovery’s plan to break up the NOAAS Miller Freeman – a former US research vessel – poses risks as the ship is filled with toxic paint and asbestos. The NGO’s Nicola Mulinaris says what’s happening in Union Bay is “truly shocking” and a good case for strengthening industrial standards in Canada. The province issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 17, requiring Deep Water to cease all shipbreaking activities. But that didn’t happen. Likewise, the CVRD on April 14 filed a notice of civil action to cease operations, alleging a zoning violation. But the company continued to dismantle ships. This process is still ongoing in court. By August 24, district officials said they were seeking a permanent injunction to halt operations. In his response to the order, Jurisich claims the district was aware of the company’s intention to break up the ship and only reversed the approval in “bad faith” for political reasons. The Comox Valley Regional District declined to comment for this story. The K’ómoks First Nation, whose traditional territory Deep Water operates, also declined to comment, but in an earlier statement said the site is “an environmental disaster waiting to happen.” The environment ministry said in a statement that it “continues to investigate” concerns about pollution in Union Bay, but officials did not agree to be interviewed. This Union Bay location on the east side of Vancouver Island, north of Denman Island, has been a log sorting operation for 30 years. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
title: “Controversy In Bc Exposes Cracks In Canada S Shipbreaking Regulations Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Richard Mckeown”
The 71-year-old’s videos, posted on her blog, showed Deep Water Recovery dismantling old barges and other vessels at its site in Union Bay, B.C. — a violation, activists say, of regional and provincial zoning regulations that jeopardizes a environmentally sensitive area rich in oysters.
Locals are upset that Deep Water Recovery has continued to operate, despite a cease and desist order from the province. Deep Water and some of its people were, in turn, upset by Reynolds’ many overflights.
Once, she claims in a civil suit, a “volatile and out of control” man grabbed her drone out of the air and confronted her, yelling obscenities and calling her a troublemaker.
“I came back with a bite at him,” Reynolds told CBC News with a laugh.
“It’s just. It’s weird. It’s absolutely weird,” he said of the June 11 incident.
Mary Reynolds flew her drone over the shipwreck for a friend, gathering footage of the operation. (Robert Kerr)
Reynolds says the drone was returned to her porch three days later because a memory card was missing.
In a countersuit, company director Mark Jurisich denies Reynold’s accusations, claiming she engaged in a “malicious campaign” of stalking and harassment in an attempt to shut down his business.
These are just some of the accusations that have been exchanged in recent years between the company and local activists who do not want shipbreaking to continue in their backyard. It’s an industry known worldwide to have the potential to pollute shores with harmful substances like asbestos and PCBs and for which, experts warn, Canada needs to legislate clearly.
Legal experts say the dispute has exposed loopholes in Canadian shipwreck law that may end up being handled by regional governments. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) lobbied against Deep Water Recovery shortly after seeing the first ships break up two years ago off the coast of nearby Baynes Sound, the channel that runs between Vancouver Island and Denman Island.
“It’s an ecological area that needs protection,” said Ray Rewcastle, president of CCOBS.
“We are proud of our coasts, why would we allow this to happen?”
Local campaigner Ray Rewcastle says the coastline near Union Bay is an “ecological area in need of protection”. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
“Mish-mash” of jurisdictions
Environmental lawyer Carla Conkin says CCOBS is fighting a do-it-yourself operation that wrecks BC barges and ferries on the beach without a dock or other internationally accepted safety protocols for breaking up ships to prevent pollution or escaping toxins. Conkin says the site also disturbed a creek and there were concerns about workers living on the site in a trailer. “These guys are flying by the seat of their pants on the beach, basically dismantling large-sized boats,” he said. “Nobody pays attention to what happens to ships when they die and have to be dealt with.” Deep Water Recovery denies the allegations. Neither Jurisich nor his lawyer agreed to be interviewed by CBC News. Old ships moored in Union Bay at the Deep Water Recovery site on May 10. (Curt Petrovich/CBC) Jurisich he recently told The Tyee plays a vital role in the marine recycling industry and that it has always followed the rules. He told the online magazine that Deep Water has dismantled 13 or 14 ships. His lawyer, in the same article, vowed to “vigorously defend” the company. Conkin says part of the problem in Union Bay is the complicated “mish mash” of the levels of government involved.
‘Pretty slippery’
The site is overseen by the province, which manages the shoreline, while the regional district oversees the upland portion of the beach. The federal government, meanwhile, oversees ships, transportation and the environment. Conkin says the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is not “adequate” to deal with shipbreaking issues, and after looking at how the site’s use has changed, she says she believes the province has been manipulated. “It’s pretty slippery,” he said. The ships are seen docked at Deep Water Recovery on August 15. (Submitted by Mary Reynolds) Deep Water Recovery arrived when it took over a company called Union Bay Industries and its 30-year log recovery license. But the company then switched to scrapping ships, asking in 2019 the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development to allow vessels to be moved and stored for repair and recycling. Instead, provincial regulators worked with the company and wrote it a new permit allowing the ships to move up the coast so they could be dismantled at the higher part of the site – which falls under the provincial government’s jurisdiction. This company’s lease on the land expires in 2038. Workers carry a rope to secure a decommissioned ship at the Alang shipyard in the western Indian state of Gujarat, March 27, 2015. (Amit Dave/Reuters) Deep Water “stepped into the shoes of this log sorting company and then slipped up to get lease modifications to allow shipbreaking,” Conkin said. “The company was capitalizing on the different levels of governance and how they don’t coordinate with each other.” Canada has no federal ship breaking rules. The industry here is small but key to countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which feed recycled steel back into their economies. A worker uses a cutting torch to dismantle the hull of a barge at the Galloo ship recycling plant in Ghent, Europe’s largest ship recycling plant, in 2015. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters) Canadian owners used to ship their old boats overseas, but towing has become expensive and environmental rules now restrict some exports. Transport Canada says regulations across the country are under review. However, in the meantime, it also lists a total of 47,321 ships registered in Canada, – including 3,054 large ships, over 100 gross tonnage – that will all have to be broken up at some point. In March 2021 report commissioned by Transport Canada says Canada is well below the capacity it needs to deal with ships reaching the end of their lives between 2021 and 2030. The industry is high-risk and expensive — dismantling a passenger ferry can cost more than $2 million, says Wayne Elliott, founder of Marine Recycling Corp., Canada’s largest shipyard. His company operates a shipyard in Campbell River, BC, and is building a new site in Port Mellon. He says he considered settling on the Union Bay site, but passed on it because of the ecologically sensitive location and proximity to people’s homes. A barge crashed into Vancouver’s seawall during the November 2021 storm and ran aground on Sunset Beach, where it remains, a visible reminder of the need for more salvage and shipbreaking experts in Canada. (Ben Nelms/CBC) “That made us decide it wasn’t worth continuing,” Elliott said. An international advocacy group says Canada should stop all non-docking of ships to contain pollutants. Belgium-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform says Deep Water Recovery’s plan to break up the NOAAS Miller Freeman – a former US research vessel – poses risks as the ship is filled with toxic paint and asbestos. The NGO’s Nicola Mulinaris says what’s happening in Union Bay is “truly shocking” and a good case for strengthening industrial standards in Canada. The province issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 17, requiring Deep Water to cease all shipbreaking activities. But that didn’t happen. Likewise, the CVRD on April 14 filed a notice of civil action to cease operations, alleging a zoning violation. But the company continued to dismantle ships. This process is still ongoing in court. By August 24, district officials said they were seeking a permanent injunction to halt operations. In his response to the order, Jurisich claims the district was aware of the company’s intention to break up the ship and only reversed the approval in “bad faith” for political reasons. The Comox Valley Regional District declined to comment for this story. The K’ómoks First Nation, whose traditional territory Deep Water operates, also declined to comment, but in an earlier statement said the site is “an environmental disaster waiting to happen.” The environment ministry said in a statement that it “continues to investigate” concerns about pollution in Union Bay, but officials did not agree to be interviewed. This Union Bay location on the east side of Vancouver Island, north of Denman Island, has been a log sorting operation for 30 years. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
title: “Controversy In Bc Exposes Cracks In Canada S Shipbreaking Regulations Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-13” author: “Jill Dobratz”
The 71-year-old’s videos, posted on her blog, showed Deep Water Recovery dismantling old barges and other vessels at its site in Union Bay, B.C. — a violation, activists say, of regional and provincial zoning regulations that jeopardizes a environmentally sensitive area rich in oysters.
Locals are upset that Deep Water Recovery has continued to operate, despite a cease and desist order from the province. Deep Water and some of its people were, in turn, upset by Reynolds’ many overflights.
Once, she claims in a civil suit, a “volatile and out of control” man grabbed her drone out of the air and confronted her, yelling obscenities and calling her a troublemaker.
“I came back with a bite at him,” Reynolds told CBC News with a laugh.
“It’s just. It’s weird. It’s absolutely weird,” he said of the June 11 incident.
Mary Reynolds flew her drone over the shipwreck for a friend, gathering footage of the operation. (Robert Kerr)
Reynolds says the drone was returned to her porch three days later because a memory card was missing.
In a countersuit, company director Mark Jurisich denies Reynold’s accusations, claiming she engaged in a “malicious campaign” of stalking and harassment in an attempt to shut down his business.
These are just some of the accusations that have been exchanged in recent years between the company and local activists who do not want shipbreaking to continue in their backyard. It’s an industry known worldwide to have the potential to pollute shores with harmful substances like asbestos and PCBs and for which, experts warn, Canada needs to legislate clearly.
Legal experts say the dispute has exposed loopholes in Canadian shipwreck law that may end up being handled by regional governments. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS) lobbied against Deep Water Recovery shortly after seeing the first ships break up two years ago off the coast of nearby Baynes Sound, the channel that runs between Vancouver Island and Denman Island.
“It’s an ecological area that needs protection,” said Ray Rewcastle, president of CCOBS.
“We are proud of our coasts, why would we allow this to happen?”
Local campaigner Ray Rewcastle says the coastline near Union Bay is an “ecological area in need of protection”. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
“Mish-mash” of jurisdictions
Environmental lawyer Carla Conkin says CCOBS is fighting a do-it-yourself operation that wrecks BC barges and ferries on the beach without a dock or other internationally accepted safety protocols for breaking up ships to prevent pollution or escaping toxins. Conkin says the site also disturbed a creek and there were concerns about workers living on the site in a trailer. “These guys are flying by the seat of their pants on the beach, basically dismantling large-sized boats,” he said. “Nobody pays attention to what happens to ships when they die and have to be dealt with.” Deep Water Recovery denies the allegations. Neither Jurisich nor his lawyer agreed to be interviewed by CBC News. Old ships moored in Union Bay at the Deep Water Recovery site on May 10. (Curt Petrovich/CBC) Jurisich he recently told The Tyee plays a vital role in the marine recycling industry and that it has always followed the rules. He told the online magazine that Deep Water has dismantled 13 or 14 ships. His lawyer, in the same article, vowed to “vigorously defend” the company. Conkin says part of the problem in Union Bay is the complicated “mish mash” of the levels of government involved.
‘Pretty slippery’
The site is overseen by the province, which manages the shoreline, while the regional district oversees the upland portion of the beach. The federal government, meanwhile, oversees ships, transportation and the environment. Conkin says the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is not “adequate” to deal with shipbreaking issues, and after looking at how the site’s use has changed, she says she believes the province has been manipulated. “It’s pretty slippery,” he said. The ships are seen docked at Deep Water Recovery on August 15. (Submitted by Mary Reynolds) Deep Water Recovery arrived when it took over a company called Union Bay Industries and its 30-year log recovery license. But the company then switched to scrapping ships, asking in 2019 the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development to allow vessels to be moved and stored for repair and recycling. Instead, provincial regulators worked with the company and wrote it a new permit allowing the ships to move up the coast so they could be dismantled at the higher part of the site – which falls under the provincial government’s jurisdiction. This company’s lease on the land expires in 2038. Workers carry a rope to secure a decommissioned ship at the Alang shipyard in the western Indian state of Gujarat, March 27, 2015. (Amit Dave/Reuters) Deep Water “stepped into the shoes of this log sorting company and then slipped up to get lease modifications to allow shipbreaking,” Conkin said. “The company was capitalizing on the different levels of governance and how they don’t coordinate with each other.” Canada has no federal ship breaking rules. The industry here is small but key to countries like Turkey, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which feed recycled steel back into their economies. A worker uses a cutting torch to dismantle the hull of a barge at the Galloo ship recycling plant in Ghent, Europe’s largest ship recycling plant, in 2015. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters) Canadian owners used to ship their old boats overseas, but towing has become expensive and environmental rules now restrict some exports. Transport Canada says regulations across the country are under review. However, in the meantime, it also lists a total of 47,321 ships registered in Canada, – including 3,054 large ships, over 100 gross tonnage – that will all have to be broken up at some point. In March 2021 report commissioned by Transport Canada says Canada is well below the capacity it needs to deal with ships reaching the end of their lives between 2021 and 2030. The industry is high-risk and expensive — dismantling a passenger ferry can cost more than $2 million, says Wayne Elliott, founder of Marine Recycling Corp., Canada’s largest shipyard. His company operates a shipyard in Campbell River, BC, and is building a new site in Port Mellon. He says he considered settling on the Union Bay site, but passed on it because of the ecologically sensitive location and proximity to people’s homes. A barge crashed into Vancouver’s seawall during the November 2021 storm and ran aground on Sunset Beach, where it remains, a visible reminder of the need for more salvage and shipbreaking experts in Canada. (Ben Nelms/CBC) “That made us decide it wasn’t worth continuing,” Elliott said. An international advocacy group says Canada should stop all non-docking of ships to contain pollutants. Belgium-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform says Deep Water Recovery’s plan to break up the NOAAS Miller Freeman – a former US research vessel – poses risks as the ship is filled with toxic paint and asbestos. The NGO’s Nicola Mulinaris says what’s happening in Union Bay is “truly shocking” and a good case for strengthening industrial standards in Canada. The province issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 17, requiring Deep Water to cease all shipbreaking activities. But that didn’t happen. Likewise, the CVRD on April 14 filed a notice of civil action to cease operations, alleging a zoning violation. But the company continued to dismantle ships. This process is still ongoing in court. By August 24, district officials said they were seeking a permanent injunction to halt operations. In his response to the order, Jurisich claims the district was aware of the company’s intention to break up the ship and only reversed the approval in “bad faith” for political reasons. The Comox Valley Regional District declined to comment for this story. The K’ómoks First Nation, whose traditional territory Deep Water operates, also declined to comment, but in an earlier statement said the site is “an environmental disaster waiting to happen.” The environment ministry said in a statement that it “continues to investigate” concerns about pollution in Union Bay, but officials did not agree to be interviewed. This Union Bay location on the east side of Vancouver Island, north of Denman Island, has been a log sorting operation for 30 years. (Curt Petrovich/CBC)
