There have been some studies done, particularly around the drift rate of a tanker through the Juan de Fuca Strait, so if a tanker were to lose power for any reason, how long you would have until it would hit something that would cause a problem.
Another drift rate study is ongoing, and we're waiting to see those two studies together. Without meaning to sound like an apologist for anyone, I note that the Kinder Morgan proposal adds fairly significant tug and towing capacity to that area. Those tanker ships in particular will be escorted or actually tied on to a tug until they are in the open water at Buoy Juliet.
We're looking at their placement of assets and their response times, and then we're looking at our own. Specifically with regard to the southern part of Vancouver Island, we have a request for information on the street. Part of that is to get towing capacity. I referred to this in my comments about long-term fleet renewal. We see emergency tow capacity as a function of the Coast Guard that needs to be rebuilt. That's the direction in which we're going.
Along all three coasts we'll be making fairly significant enhancements through the ocean protection plan. These include renewing equipment for the Coast Guard, adding new capacity inside the Coast Guard in the form of things like primary environmental response teams—think of a SWAT team for the ocean—but also by leveraging coastal communities, particularly indigenous communities and northern communities. We'll be engaging a range of volunteers, like a volunteer fire department, so that we can get people with some training and equipment to the scene as quickly as possible, empowering them and enabling them to hold the line until the big assets can arrive.
We're looking at the studies; we're placing new assets in capability; and we're working with more partners to achieve a stronger response.