Chevron has a new method to try and stop the oil that's been seeping from its North Burnaby refinery into the Burrard Inlet since spring.

The company plans to install "soaker mats" on the beach close to the refinery in the new year to absorb oil that's leaching offsite through the ground water.

Company spokesperson Ray Lord said the mats' specialized technology is designed to attract hydrocarbons, and it's the first time it's been used in B.C. The plan is to use the absorbent mats to create an underground barrier on the beach that will soak up the oil. The absorbent mat system can be in place for up to two years before it needs replacing, Lord said. The mats will replace the absorbent pads Chevron has been using, which aren't feasible for the winter months, he added.

"Of course we are trying to prevent the seep from getting down there in the first place," he said. Chevron is also using a pipe to collect oily water from a trench next to the railroad tracks.

Chevron first reported the oil migrating offsite following a routine inspection on April 21. Downhill from the refinery, the mix of gas, diesel and crude was showing up next to the railroad tracks and on the beach below. Lord has characterized the seepage as "historic," meaning it's most likely the result of contaminants soaked into the soil over time that are being carried offsite through the groundwater. Chevron is still keeping a close eye on its sewer system to make sure no new material is seeping into the ground.

Crews have been using soaker pads to clean up the beach, where an area is cordoned off with a boom. The company is also using interception wells to try and catch the contaminated groundwater before it migrates offsite.

Back in May, Chevron reported observing three to seven tablespoons a day of the oily mixture. Lord said that volume hasn't increased.

"The amount at the beach was no more than we were seeing last summer. However, at the last (community advisory panel) meeting, ... we advised we actually are seeing less material at the railroad ditch," he said. "We think it could be a change in the ground flow or it could be an early indication the pumping is working. (We) can't say for sure, but we definitely are seeing less material down there at the railroad trench."

But aquatic biologist John Werring begs to differ. Werring, who works for the David Suzuki Foundation, has visited the site several times since news of the leak broke last spring.

"It's been seven months since they've reported that spill, and I don't see much of a change. The problem is getting worse on the beach," he said.

While Werring hasn't measured volume of the seeping material, he said walking on the sand leaves oily footprints, and the air is heavy with the scent of hydrocarbons.

"The sand was just saturated," he said. "Anywhere you walked, it just came to the surface."

Werring would like to see more enforcement from the provincial Environment Ministry when it comes to handling contaminated sites like Chevron.

"We have rules in B.C. about contaminated sites," Werring said, adding he'd like to see ministry staff onsite, checking on the leak or taking soil samples.

In a June 22 e-mail obtained by the NOW, Environment Ministry staff said "collecting samples for investigatory purposes at this point (rather late in the game) would compromise the cooperative working relationship we have with Chevron."

"That suggests to me the Ministry of Environment is not willing to enforce the law when it comes to Chevron because they don't want to damage this cooperative relationship," Werring said.

On a recent trip to the seep zone, Werring observed an oily sheen on the water's surface that was drifting outside the cordoned off area. He also noted that any organisms around the seepage will either be dead or dying.

"That stuff is extremely toxic to aquatic life," he said. Werring noted that the beach where the seep is appeared a lot lighter than the surrounding area when observed from aerial photographs. Werring speculated the oil was killing off the algae and aquatic life, leaving a bleached-out look to the shoreline. He also cited an August report by a Chevron-hired consultant that noted visible life-forms around the oil leak area were limited to barnacles, while the beach on either sides showed more signs of life and algae.

Werring also spotted more oil in the ditch beside the railway tracks about 100 to 150 metres east of the fenced off leak site.