Whereas the amount and frequency of dangerous goods being transported by CN Rail through all areas of the province is increasing; And whereas the capacity to respond to a dangerous goods incident in many populated areas of the province is not adequate: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM petition the Province of BC to initiate a process with CN Rail to develop a dangerous goods incident emergency response strategy in close consultation with the Province of BC and local governments to ensure adequate response capacity in all areas of the Province.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy The Province of British Columbia recognizes the direct risks and costs of spill incidents placed on local governments by the amount and frequency of dangerous goods transported by rail through BC and is working hard on the development of new spill preparedness, response and recovery regulations. The first set of new regulations passed in October 2017 include new requirements around spill contingency planning which place a proactive obligation on regulated persons, such as rail operators, to demonstrate their capability to respond to a spill incident. A second phase of regulations, expected in 2019, is currently undergoing analysis and will include the following areas: - Response times, which ensure timely responses following a spill; - Geographic response plans, which ensure resources are available to support an immediate response, which consider the unique characteristics of a given sensitive area; - Compensation for loss of public use from spills, including economic, cultural and recreational impacts; and - Maximizing application of regulations to marine spills. As committed to during the 2018 Estimates Debate, the Ministry is also in the process of pursuing additional information from rail operators regarding heavy oil transportation in B.C. The Province is committed to ensuring a collaborative approach to spill preparedness, response and recovery in BC and will continue to engage with federal, local and Indigenous authorities as well as industry and other key stakeholders on spill management as the province continues to strengthen its regulatory framework through additional enhancements.