Requirements for Oil Spill Response Organizations

As part of the Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is strengthening Canada’s oil spill preparedness and response regime. This includes reviewing the requirements for the response organizations that provide spill response services in Canada.

We want to hear from you.

Do you live or work on our coasts? Are you interested in how Canada prepares and responds to marine oil spills?

We want your ideas on how we can enhance the regulations and standards for response organizations.

How to Participate

Read the Discussion Paper and join the discussion forum via the “Join the Conversation” tab below.

To participate, click “register” at the top of the page or sign in; or send a written submission via the “Submissions” tab.

The Response Organizations Review

The review aims to enhance the regulations and standards for response organizations certified by Transport Canada. It will address a wide range of topics under five themes:

1. Recognizing local conditions and risks
2. Strengthening response times and capacity
3. Planning for cascading resources (e.g. bringing extra people and equipment from other regions)
4. Improving the federal government’s certification process for response organizations
5. Improving public awareness and participation

Background

After several major oil spills, including the Nestucca in 1988 and the Exxon Valdez in 1989, the Government of Canada commissioned the Public Review Panel on Tanker Safety and Marine Spills Response Capability. The panel’s report and recommendations prompted the Government of Canada and industry to create Canada’s current Ship-Source Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime in 1995. As part of this regime, industry established four response organizations in Canada to ensure there is a consistent level of preparedness in place for oil spill response.

While Canada has a strong oil spill preparedness and response regime, the current requirements for response organizations were developed over twenty years ago. Since then, environmental response planning in Canada has evolved. There is now a desire for risk-based planning that takes Indigenous and coastal communities feedback into account. Transport Canada is inviting people across Canada to identify ways to improve the requirements for response organizations.