Thank you very much. Good afternoon and thank you, Mr. Chair, for your introduction and thank you to the committee members for extending an invitation to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to participate in your study of Bill C-52, the safe and accountable rail act.
The FCM last appeared before your committee in March 2015 as part of your study on Bill C-627, an act to amend the Railway Safety Act and we are pleased to be here again today.
I am the mayor of Marwayne, Alberta; the chair of FCM's standing committee on municipal transportation and infrastructure; and the co-chair of the joint proximity initiative between FCM and the Rail Association of Canada. I'm happy to be here today to represent FCM as co-chair of the National Municipal Rail Safety Working Group. The working group was established after the tragic derailment that devastated the community of Lac-Mégantic in 2013. Our work is guided by three priority areas: to equip and support municipal first responders to rail emergencies, to ensure that federal and industry policies and regulations address the rail safety concerns of municipalities, and to prevent the downloading of rail safety emergency costs to local taxpayers.
I'm joined today by Daniel Rubinstein, manager of policy and research at FCM and our policy lead on rail safety and the transportation of dangerous goods.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is the national voice of our municipal governments. Our member municipalities come from every corner of Canada and collectively represent over 90% of Canada's population. Members include Canada's largest cities, all urban and rural communities, and 20 provincial and territorial municipal associations. In leading the municipal movement, FCM works to align federal and local priorities, recognizing that strong hometowns make for a strong Canada.
FCM is an active participant in a number of initiatives related to rail safety and the transportation of dangerous goods. We are members of the TDG general policy advisory council, the advisory council on railway safety, and Transport Canada's emergency response task force. We also actively engage Minister Raitt and Transport Canada's senior leadership on these critical issues.
Before speaking on Bill C-52, I want to reiterate for committee members that FCM and the National Municipal Rail Safety Working Group are guided by the essential work undertaken by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The TSB serves a critical function in making safety recommendations to the federal government. At FCM we believe that the standard for progress is full implementation of TSB safety recommendations. My colleagues and I from FCM are pleased that the government has substantively responded to the TSB's reports and recommendations following the tragedy in Lac-Mégantic. We expect the same type of response once the TSB has completed its investigation into the recent derailments in northern Ontario and has made additional recommendations to government.
In terms of the focus of today's meeting, let me say a few words about Bill C-52. The key elements of the legislation respond directly to concerns raised by FCM related to insurance and liability, information sharing, and Transport Canada's oversight of federal railways. The bill is an important step forward in improving the safe transportation of dangerous goods by rail. The changes to insurance requirements for railways and a new levy for crude oil shippers, in particular, will address an important concern of municipalities and ensure that those affected by rail emergencies at the local level are fully compensated. While we understand the decision to focus on the risks posed by crude oil shipments, we hope that Transport Canada will look closely at the possibility of expanding the new levy to shippers of other dangerous goods once Bill C-52 has come into effect. It is a positive sign that the legislation includes the ability to scope in other products in the future.
Bill C-52 also represents an important step forward in providing both the minister and the railways inspectors with new powers that will allow for specific corrective actions to be ordered in the event of unsafe railways operations. This includes new power for the minister to issue an order to address any threat to safe railway operations, as opposed to only an immediate threat under the existing railway act. FCM is pleased to see these measures included in Bill C-52, as they should provide the regulator with additional tools to improve rail safety.
Bill C-52 also includes provisions for Transport Canada to develop expanded regulations on information sharing between the railways and third parties, including municipalities. Municipalities need to know about potential risks associated with rail corridors in their communities to reduce the safety risks related to the transportation of dangerous goods by rail and to ensure that local services can plan and respond effectively to emergencies. We look forward to a detailed discussion with Transport Canada on the development of these regulations.
Now, I will shift from the provisions in Bill C-52 to land use planning near rail corridors. As discussed at our last appearance on Bill C-627, FCM and the Railway Association of Canada are committed to building common approaches to the prevention and resolution of issues that may arise when people live and work in close proximity to rail operations. In May 2013, we unveiled new proximity guidelines and a new website intended to promote best practices and awareness about the issues associated with developments near railway operations. Several of Canada's largest cities are now in the process of studying how best to implement these guidelines locally.
Given the considerable interest in proximity issues at our last committee appearance, I want to reiterate that a one-size-fits-all approach on proximity issues is not suitable for a country as geographically and jurisdictionally diverse as Canada. Thus it is critical for the federal government to continue to work closely with provincial and local governments on any new policy initiatives related to land use in proximity to railway operations.
These are a few of the policy areas where proactive and ongoing discussions between FCM and our member municipalities, the federal government, and industry have resulted in concrete reforms that will improve the safety of Canada's railways.
That said, unfortunately our work is not yet done. As derailments continue to occur, again we look to the TSB to provide Canadians with analysis of the causes of recent derailments and recommendations to further improve rail safety in Canada. We look to the government, the rail industry, and the Parliament, through this committee, to ensure that any recommendations are implemented in full.
In closing, FCM welcomes a new insurance and third-party liability regime for railways and dangerous goods shippers, as well as new measures to expand and clarify the oversight and enforcement powers of the minister, the CTA, and railway safety inspectors, including the amendments to the Railway Safety Act and Canada Transportation Act in Bill C-52. We hope that Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency will ensure that these powers are fully implemented as soon as possible.
Again, thank you very much to the committee for giving FCM the opportunity to present our municipal perspective on Bill C-52. Daniel and I will be happy to answer any questions in regard to the bill, as well as any other issues related to rail safety and the transportation of dangerous goods by rail through our municipalities.
Thank you.