BUCKLEY BAY, B.C- The ferry between Denman Island and Vancouver Island won’t be shedding anymore.
That’s the word from BC Ferries, after residents of Denman Island raised concerns about plastic from the cable ferry getting left in the ocean along the vessel’s route, and washing up on the shoreline.
On Tuesday, BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall confirmed that the drive cable for the ferry did shed plastic when they were using plates, but said they have since changed those plates to rollers.
“The cable ferry has a drive cable in the centre, and the cable has a plastic coating on it, there was some sloughing of the plastic coating as the cable went through a series of plates, but we have changed out those plates now, and they are now rollers,” said Marshall.
“It’s a much smoother transition as the cable goes through the vessel.”
She said that the change from the plates to the rollers was made about a month ago, and when the plates were used, plastic was being removed from the cable “very intermittently.”
Marshall said that BC Ferries feels like they have “reduced the risk by putting those rollers in, so it goes through the series of rollers now, and not hard contact with the series of plates,” but added that “it’s possible it could happen again.”
