VANCOUVER -- The 1.5 million tonnes of debris floating around the Pacific Ocean as a result of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan is unlikely to pose any significant risk, government experts say.

The BC Ministry of Environment released an update Tuesday in which it said only a minimal amount of confirmed debris has washed up on local shores. They do not believe any future tsunami debris will have a lasting environmental or public health impact.

"We do not know the extent of the debris that may still come, but we are continuing to monitor the situation and have taken appropriate steps to be well prepared and organized in the event that something significant occurs," Minister Terry Lake said in a statement.

A joint committee chaired by senior representatives from the provincial and federal governments - the Tsunami Debris Co-ordinating Committee - has completed one of two planned phases to deal with the tsunami fallout.

The first phase dealt with establishing management protocols and assessing risk. Phase two focuses on collection and removal of tsunami debris and looking at aquatic invasive species.

So far, there have been 12 confirmed pieces of debris found in Canadian and American waters. Last week, a large blue plastic bin covered in barnacles was picked up floating off the coast of Oahu in Hawaii.