Mr. Speaker, area response planning was approved as an overarching approach and will be implemented through a phased approach, starting in four areas: the southern portion of B.C; Saint John and Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick; Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia; and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec.
A pan-Canadian risk assessment entitled “Risk Assessment for Marine Spills in Canadian Waters” was conducted by GENIVAR. It was used to determine the areas where area response planning would initially be implemented. Other criteria used in identifying these areas include a high level of risk, geographic coverage, and the involvement of all four certified response organizations, those being Atlantic Emergency Response Team, Eastern Canada Response Corporation Ltd., Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, and Point Tupper Marine Services Ltd. Involving the response organizations will allow each to work within the new area response planning model, test new response standards and techniques, and determine the operational and financial impact of implementing area response planning nationally.