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.
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
There are competency guidelines for first responders.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
When the shippers provide voluntary training opportunities for local first responders, does Transport Canada evaluate which communities have trained personnel as part of the emergency response assistance plans?
These plans are only looked at every.... What is it, six or seven years?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Yes. It depends on the plan.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
How does Transport Canada get a global sense of whether local first responders have adequate training and capacity to respond to dangerous goods events?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I'll have to go back and ask the question.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
We have confidential plans that include local first responders, but local first responders aren't able to access those plans. We have a lack of standards when it comes to the sufficiency of those plans.
Is Transport Canada currently engaged in any community-level emergency response capacity assessments at the local level in Canada?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Not that I'm aware of.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
My understanding is that Transport Canada is involved in one. It involves the Kitsumkalum first nation and the Kitselas First Nation. It's in the riding I represent, near the community of Terrace. Our hope is that it's going to produce information on the community's capacity to respond to these events, because the community is very concerned.
I think it's logical to conduct similar capacity assessments in every community along the rail corridor, because there are tens of thousands of people at risk if we see major events, like the BLEVE events that I described earlier.
I'll leave it there, Mr. Chair, but I'm deeply troubled by the answers we've received today.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much, Mr. Bachrach.
Next, we'll go to Mr. Lawrence.
The floor is yours. You have five minutes, sir.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
Thank you very much.
I'm going to follow up on some the questions from my colleague from the NDP.
In my riding, I have the towns of Newcastle, Cobourg, Port Hope, Brighton and Colborne, among others, that are right along the railway. As I said, you drive by and you can see, on a regular basis, petroleum car after petroleum car going by.
In earlier testimony, you said in your evidence that in order to be a safe distance from a BLEVE event, it would have to be 1.7 kilometres, and that would have to be done in nine minutes.
Do you have any confidence that there's an evacuation plan in the town of Cobourg or could you table any evidence that the town of Cobourg has an evacuation plan if a BLEVE event happens?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I don't have that information.
Conservative
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I don't have that information either.
Conservative
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I don't have that.
Conservative
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
No.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
You can see this causes concerns for all of my colleagues, including me.
You also said, in your evidence, that there are plans to handle an event. I understand that your department has worked hard to limit the number of occurrences, but really, with these types of incidents, as Lac-Mégantic demonstrated, it only takes one incident to kill 47 people and level 30 buildings.
Is it your evidence—did I understand it correctly—that the plans to deal with such an event aren't currently disclosed to first responders?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I'll confirm that with my experts.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
At this point, you can't confidently say to the committee that the town of Cobourg has first responders who have been trained to deal with these events.
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
I don't have that information, no.
December 10th, 2024 / 5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
Is it the same for the town of Port Hope?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Yes.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
Is it the same for the town of Newcastle?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Yes.