Last week, the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia announced its plan to sink the decomissioned Canadian naval destroyer, the HMCS Annapolis, off of Gambier Island on January 16. As of Monday afternoon, plans for the sinking of the vessel are on hold.
The Save Halkett Bay Marine Park Society issued an injunction against Environment Canada over the permit it issued to allow the sinking of the ship. Lawyers met in Federal Court, and the Society brought forward test results on the paint on the ship’s hull, and revealed the presence of tributyltins (TBTs), a highly toxic chemical banned from anti-fouling paints in Canada in 2008.
The judge ruled that for now, the HMCS Annapolis must remained moored in its current location in Long Bay, off Gambier Island.
Lawyers on both sides will return to court to argue the issue further on January 27.
