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.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
In that case, what is the effect of Protective Direction No. 36?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
The railways' annual reports are public and are on their website. As for the quarterly reports, they are only sent to each particular community; they are not public.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Okay. That means that the full list of dangerous goods passing through the communities is in the quarterly reports. Is that correct?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
These reports include the volume and nature of dangerous goods.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
What do you mean by “nature”? Is that the product itself or just a category?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
That is the product.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Okay.
I want to be sure I understood what you said earlier in English. There would be emergency response plans for disasters involving dangerous goods, The railway companies are responsible for those plans, which are reviewed or approved by Transport Canada. However, these plans are not shared with local first responders, and their implementation is not coordinated among these respondents, Transport Canada and the railway companies. Did I understand correctly?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Are you talking about the emergency response assistance plans?
Acting Director General, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Department of Transport
Okay. I'll have to check with the experts to see if there's any coordination between Transport Canada, the municipalities and the railways.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much.
Next, and finally for today, we have Mr. Bachrach.
Mr. Bachrach, you have two and a half minutes, sir.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you again, gentlemen, for being here today.
Mr. Chair, I'd like to move the following motion. I move that Transport Canada provide the committee with all emergency response assistance plans related to the rail transport of dangerous goods between Prince George and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and the key route risk assessment for the same.
I'm certainly open to my colleagues amending it to add the geographies that concern them particularly.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Are there any other comments, questions or ideas? Does anyone want to add more routes?
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
I'd certainly like to see the route in my riding added to the motion. I think it's being referred to as the Montreal-Sorel route. I assume that all members around the table will want to add the routes in their ridings as well. That would be my comment.
December 10th, 2024 / 5:55 p.m.
Conservative
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
We would like to add the Ontario corridor as well.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Is it okay if I suspend for two minutes, just so we can do this off-line and then come back, perhaps with something concrete?
The meeting is suspended.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
I call this meeting back to order.
I'd like to thank our witnesses for appearing here today.
I'm going to adjourn the meeting.
Thank you very much.