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PCBs aboard the Irving Whale

Environmentalists dubbed it a ticking time bomb, and nobody knew when — or if — the Irving Whale oil barge would release its dangerous cargo. Toxic discoveries, legal delays and spiralling costs would all ensue before the Irving Whale saw the light of day — 26 years after sinking off Prince Edward Island in 1970.

Plans are well underway when the revelation comes: there are toxic PCBs on the Irving Whale. Reporter Kathy Large says the disclosure by the Irving Oil company is an embarrassment to the Canadian Coast Guard, who admitted they hadn't detected PCBs. The Coast Guard's Bill Scott says the news puts an end to calls for the barge's oil to be pumped out first, because PCBs simply can't be pumped out.
. A 1992 assessment of the Irving Whale did, in fact, contain a reference to PCBs on board, but Environment Minister Sheila Copps later explained that the government had missed it because the reference used the substance's trade name, Monsanto MGS 295S.

. The term "PCBs" is shorthand for polychlorinated biphenyls, a group of chemicals in the form of oily liquids, valued for their excellent insulating abilities. They were used in the Irving Whale's heating system, which was necessary to prevent its cargo of oil from congealing in transit. The use of PCBs was banned in Canada in 1977, seven years after the Irving Whale sank. PCBs are still found in electrical equipment such as transformers.

. PCBs are considered dangerous for the environment because they decompose very slowly and dissolve easily in plant and animal tissues. Long-term exposure to PCBs can result in damage to an organism's liver function and neurological and reproductive systems; there is also evidence they can cause cancer in animals.
. At the time of its sinking, the Irving Whale had about 6,800 litres of PCBs in its heating system.
Medium: Radio
Program: Canada at Five
Broadcast Date: July 6, 1995
Guest(s): Bill Scott
Host: Barbara Smith
Reporter: Kathy Large
Duration: 1:36

Last updated: January 31, 2012

Page consulted on March 19, 2013

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