Training exercise in Prince Rupert harbour — not an environmental concern

Possible environmental issues were a worry for a Prince Rupert resident who voiced concerns on Oct. 10 after witnessing a container ship in the harbour being doused with hoses and surrounded by a spill boom.

In an email to The Northern View, Rachael Ernst said she has lived in the city for a long time and in 22 years has never seen anything like it.

“For over an hour this freighter ship … has been sprayed (with what we don’t know) by this Port Authority craft,” Rachael Ernst stated.

However, Monika Cote, corporate communications manager for the Port of Prince Rupert said, said what was witnessed by residents was a training exercise.

The AMWAAL, a harbour patrol vessel, was engaged in a fireboat training and boundary cooling exercise, she said. The vessel is equipped with navigation, communications, surveillance, marine fire fighting and high-speed jet-drive maneuverability equipment.

The exercises were part of regular training for port crews and vessels relating to testing the vessel’s firefighting capabilities at sea.