Evidence of meeting #143 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was rail.
A video is available from Parliament.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Do those emergency response assistance plans include an evaluation or a plan for responding to dangerous goods events?
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Is there a description of the tools and strategies that will be used to respond?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
That's correct.
An ERAP will contain safety information, communication and plan implementation, rules and responsibilities, emergency response actions, the resources for the response—which include personnel and equipment—mobilization and deployment, damage assessment and, obviously, training and exercises.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
In those ERAPs, does Transport Canada have a definition of what a sufficient response plan looks like?
Transport Canada approves these assistance plans. There must be a systematic approach for evaluating whether the shipper's plans are sufficient to protect the community. Is that correct?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Yes, there are criteria for the approval of an assistance plan.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
If they're deemed insufficient, the shippers have to amend them, I assume, and make them sufficient.
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
If they're not approved, yes, they do.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
It's common for these ERAPs to rely on local first responders as part of the response to emergencies involving dangerous goods. Is that correct?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
It would be part of the response, yes.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Would these assistance plans look at the capacity of local first responders to adequately protect the community from incidents involving dangerous goods?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I'll have to get back to you on that one.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
One would think that it would be logical that, if the goal of the assistance plans is to protect the community, your agency wouldn't approve a plan that doesn't achieve the goal of protecting the community. Is that correct?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
You're not just looking at the capability of the response of the community. The shipper actually has to have response contractors.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
I understand, but in the first two hours, it's usually up to the local fire department to respond.
Are these ERAPs also confidential or proprietary?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
There is some proprietary information in them, yes.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Are they available to members of the public who, say, live along a rail corridor and want to now how they're being protected?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
They are not available at this time, no.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
They're not available.
Are they available to municipalities that ask for them?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I'd have to check that. I don't believe they are.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
If you could provide that to the committee, that would be appreciated.
Are they available to the fire departments that are part of the emergency response assistance plans?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I don't believe they are. I'll have to verify.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
They aren't available to the first responders who are part of the plan. This is amazing. Where do you go from there? I'm baffled.
I want to provide assurance to people in the communities I represent that they're being adequately protected by your department. You're the director general of transportation of dangerous goods, yet I've asked dozens of questions that haven't had answers.
Are first responders right to be concerned about the ability, the capacity, the resources and the tools that they have to protect communities from the products that you approve the shipment of?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Yes, but we do work a lot with communities and first responders in providing, like I mentioned before.... There's actually free online training that is available for firefighters.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Are there any standards? Does Transport Canada have any standards for the training that first responders receive for responding to incidents involving dangerous goods?