The report, A Review of Canada’s Ship-source Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime, released by the Tanker Safety Panel in early December 2013 covered two areas of special interest to oiled wildlife responders.
Recommendations may aid oiled wildlife response
The first is the recommendation to develop and implement a comprehensive oiled wildlife response plan agreed by the national government, provinces and territories.The Panel recommended this plan include more than the basic requirements now in place related to hazing wildlife to prevent them becoming oiled, stating that strategies related to cleaning and rehabilitating animals that do become oiled should be in place.
The recommended implementation of an Incident Command System, led by the Coast Guard, Transport Canada and Environment Canada, may make it easier to integrate response to oil affected wildlife into overall response activities. Oiled wildlife response groups working in Canada should be pleased to see both of these recommendations, which reinforce what they are trying to accomplish.
Area Response Plans tailor actions to local risks and sensitivities
The Panel recommended that, although the oversight of spill response should fall with the federal government, Area Response Planning based on oil movement, vessel traffic, and environmental and socio-economic sensitivities would be the most effective method of preparing for a oil spills of any size. The Gulf of Saint Lawrence, St. Lawrence River and southern coastal British Columbia were deemed to be at greatest risk due to the volume of ship traffic and the high level of environmentally sensitive areas.
The Area Response Plans would also include a pre-spill evaluation of the use of alternative methods such as dispersants, allowing local environmental sensitivities to be taken into account when such actions are considered. Removal of the cap on the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund, with provisions to reinstate oil transport levies to rebuild the fund if needed, may help responders recoup costs of response. Post-spill environmental monitoring and a regular schedule of joint response exercises are also recommended.
Arctic conditions to be addressed in separate report
The Panel is now working on a second report, evaluating the special circumstances of Arctic-like conditions in areas above 60 degrees North. This report will also address oil spills in ‘unsheltered waters’ off all of Canada’s coastline.