Material Safety Data Sheet for Dilbit or Diluted Bitumin

If you click on the category “Oil Spill Risk” you may  have some appreciation for the potential hazards we face at Race Rocks in the event of a Oil Spill involving Dilbit which is already being shipped in some tankers through the Strait of Juan de Fuca within 4 miles of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, but if the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Expansion project is approved by the Canadian Government will be the contents of up to 35 tankers per month.

From the National Energy Board we can find out what is in Dilbit and what precautions we need when it lands on the shores of Race Rocks.
You can see the original here: or as copied in the images below:

https://docs.neb-one.gc.ca/ll-eng/llisapi.dll/fetch/2000/90464/90552/548311/956726/2392873/2450810/2478758/2522888/Material_Safety_Data_Sheet_-_Diluted_Bitumen_-_A4A9D1.pdf?nodeid=2508614&vernum=-2

ALSO: The following link gives the Occupational and Health Guidelines for Benzene, a Potential Human Carcinogen

https://docs.neb-one.gc.ca/ll-eng/llisapi.dll/fetch/2000/90464/90552/548311/956726/2392873/2450810/2478758/2522888/Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Guideline_for_Benzene_-_A4A9D2.pdf?nodeid=2504533&vernum=-2

dilbit1 dilbit2 dilbit3 dilbit4

Esquimalt First Nation Traditional land (and water) use areas.

In August, 2014, the Trans Mountain Pipeline consultant Tera submitted a “Supplemental Traditional Marine Resource Transportation Technical Report. 

In it, a chart is presented with areas of traditional use by the Esquimalt First Nations is presented. This is the first time this kind of map has appeared, and it is rather interesting since the Esquimalt FN remained uninvolved throughout the Race Rocks MPA Advisory Board meetings .

 

“EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment was completed by TERA, a CH2M HILL Company,and was submitted as part of the Application to the National Energy Board (NEB) in December 2013 for the proposed Trans Mountain Expansion Project (referred to as TMEP or the Project). The NEB will conduct a detailed review and hold a Public Hearing to determine if it is in the public interest to recommend a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for construction and operation of the Project. Pending regulatory approval, Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC (Trans Mountain) plans to begin construction in 2016 and go into service in 2017.Trans Mountain will continue to engage Aboriginal communities through all phases of the Project. Traditional Marine Resource Use (TMRU) information received from participating communities will be reviewed in order to confirm literature results and mitigation measures. Additional issues of concern, TMRU sites or features identified through ongoing engagement with Aboriginal communities will be considered for incorporation into Project planning under the guidance of existing marine transport regulations and mitigation recommendations. The results of these ongoing engagement efforts will be provided to the NEBin future supplemental filings. Further information is provided in Technical Report (TR) 8B-5 in Volume 8B,  Traditional Marine Resource Use Technical Report of the Application. ”

This report contained a map of the traditional use areas of Esquimalt First Nations which shows use of the  Race Rocks Area as well as the adjacent coastline. It is shown in this link:

esquimalttraditionallanduse area

Click for large version

Sedum anglicum, English Stonecrop–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

stonecrop

Sedum anglicum,(in bloom in July,) English Stonecrop– invasive at Race Rocks

 

Englishstonecrop

Sedum anglicum, English Stonecrop all photos by Garry Fletcher

This plant was introduced to Race Rocks by Assistant keepers in the 1980s. From a small flower bed near the assistant’s house It has spread over much of the Great Race Rock Island. Since it is a member of the Crassulacea family, it uses the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) method for fixation of

The crevices of the rock outcrops where native grasses grew are being invaded by this stonecrop.

The crevices of the rock outcrops where native grasses grew are being invaded by this stonecrop.

Carbon Dioxide for photosynthesis. Since it can fix Carbon into a chemical when stomata are open only when its cool at night, it is very resistant to drought, and can survive with very little soil.

stonecrop_cistern

The mat of green is a monoculture of Sedum anglicum, English Stonecrop growing on the concrete surface of the large gound-level cistern.

It is of course not the only introduced species on Race Rocks but since it is not grazed by anything, it is rapidly replacing the sparse growth of native species such as thrift  and grasses in the rock crevices.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Sedum
Species: S. anglicum
English Stonecrop
Other Angiosperms (flowering plants) at Race Rock

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 

Summer Solstice

It’s 2200h as I’m writing and the sky is still brightly lit.

Clear day. Winds 10-20 knots for most of the day.

A recreational fishing boat tied up to the jetty today to settle some engine troubles. Two different fishing boats were anchored on the edge of the south boundary of the reserve.

A boat of divers were in the reserve for about an hour this morning along the east side of the island.

2 float planes crossed overhead.

A bald eagle made his regular visit for lunch in the afternoon and captured a gull.

 

 

June 20th

Clear. Westerlies all day with speed averaging around 20 knots.

1 cruise ship passed by in the morning

1 tour boat

3 cargo ships passed through the strait throughout the day

1 helicopter passed over the reserve at 1300h

Business as usual on the reserve today:

-Another female elephant seal has arrived, bringing the current count to 5
-A California sea lion was hanging out on one of the south islands
-The pair of Caspian terns was back again today

Friday Night Vessel Scramble in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

This evening as  I write this, 6 cargo ships (bulk carriers and container ships), a ferry and a cruise ship are all underway around Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. (as viewed on http://ais3.siitech.com/VTSLite/AView.aspx.) The wind is from the West at 50 km/hr. The total length of these outbound vessels if they were placed end to end is 1861 metres (1.861 kilometres or 6,105 feet which is 1.156 miles. )

SHIPS-at-RR-2014-06-06 at 8.17.30 PM

Ships within 4 km of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve at 8:00 pm on June 6

ocean-hawk There is also this 186 metre inbound ship called the Ocean Hawk ,     And this is how close they get to Race Rocks: Rosedaleand ships2014-06-06 at 7.53.59 PMYou can see other posts about our concern for the oil spill threat in the Race Rocks Ecological reserve here:  https://www.racerocks.ca/category/ecology/oil-spill-risk/

frontierLeadertankerOn this page we profile Marine Vessel Traffic Images which show how close they are to the Animals of Race Rocks

 


Click on the photos below by Courtney Edwards-taken from Race Rocks :

Romanzoffia tracyi : Mist maidens–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Romanzoffia tracyi

Scientific classification
Family: Boraginaceae (Borage)
Subfamily: Hydrophylloideae (Waterleaf)
Genus: Romanzoffia
Species: R. tracyi (Jepson)
Common name: Tracy’s mistmaiden

General: Perennial herb from well-developed, brown-woolly basal tubers; stems several, ascending, long glandular-hairy, 2-12 cm tall [1].

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Ecological Reserves participate in the NEB hearings on Kinder Morgan pipeline.

The Board of the Friends of Ecological Reserves has posted their first set of Information Requests to the National Energy Board and Kinder Morgan as Intervenors in the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project . Their concerns focus on the Ecological reserves of Southern Vancouver Island such as Race Rocks .

See this link with a further link to all intervenors Information requests.kmstudyarea

 

Population Growth of Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) at Race Rocks, 1990-2014

The following is a draft copy of a graph I am working on to illustrate the growth of the elephant seal population at Race Rocks over the past few years. The information has been retrieved from logs of current and past Ecoguardians and photos and notes taken over the years.

To be continued:  G. Fletcher

Elephant  Seal census

Animal Census

Mostly clear skies. Strong West wind all day.

The flag was set at half-mast today to mark the national day of remembrance of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.  According to the Canadian War Museum, the capture of Vimy was more than just an important battlefield victory, it became a symbol for the sacrifice of the young Dominion. Brigadier-General A.E. Ross declared after the war, “in those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.”

 

Animal Census

Steller Sea lion: 41
California Sea lion: 8
Harbour Seal: 153
Elephant Seal: 16!
Gulls: 301
Canada Geese: 20
Black Turnstone: 6
Harlequin Duck: 4
Oystercatcher: 8

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