Today the Government of Canada released the second report of the independent Tanker Safety Expert Panel. The report, “A Review of Canada’s Ship-source Spill Preparedness and Response: Setting the Course for the Future, Phase II – Requirements for the Arctic and for Hazardous and Noxious Substances Nationally” marks a milestone in the Government’s commitment to continue strengthening Canada’s world-class tanker safety system.

The Panel’s report concludes there are opportunities to enhance Canada’s prevention, preparedness and response requirements to better protect the public and the environment. There are recommendations for the Arctic, for hazardous and noxious substances, and a recommendation on the management of marine casualty incidents.

The Panel’s first report, released in December 2013, focused on Canada’s ship-source oil spill preparedness and response regime south of the 60th parallel.  Based on the Panel’s first report and other studies, and input received from a broad range of stakeholders across Canada, in  May 2014, the Government announced new actions such as: modernizing Canada’s marine navigation system; supporting leading-edge scientific research on petroleum products and a range of response measures; piloting Area Response Planning in four areas across Canada; and strengthening the polluter pay regime by introducing legislative amendments to make an unlimited amount of compensation available from Canada’s domestic ship-source compensation fund.

The Government of Canada welcomes the Tanker Safety Expert Panel’s detailed and thoughtful work on this important issue. The recommendations and findings in the Panel's second report will inform the Government in its policy work and in planning further actions to continue implementing a world-class tanker safety system for all regions of the country that protects the public and the environment, while moving Canada’s valuable resource goods to markets around the world.

The Panel’s full report can be viewed at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tankersafetyexpertpanel/menu.htm. 

The Government thanks the Tanker Safety Expert Panel for its expertise on this critical issue. 

Quick Facts

• The Tanker Safety Expert Panel engaged with a large number of stakeholders, including the public, industry, provincial/territorial governments, federal government officials, Aboriginal organizations and international experts.  
• The Panel was chaired by Captain Gordon Houston, an experienced mariner, former harbour Master and former President and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority; the other Panel members were Mr. Richard Gaudreau, an expert in maritime law and former chair of the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council, and Dr. Michael Sinclair, former director of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, N.S.

Quote

“While Canada already has a strong marine safety record, the Government of Canada is dedicated to further protecting communities and the environment from the potential effects of ship-source oil spills. I would like to thank the Tanker Safety Expert Panel for its detailed, thoughtful work, and the invaluable expertise it brought to this critical issue.  The Panel’s second report is a key milestone in meeting the federal government’s commitment to continuously improve Canada’s ship-source spill regime for all Canadians.  The report will inform our thinking as we continue to work closely with Aboriginal groups, communities, and stakeholders, to support safe, secure, clean and efficient marine transportation across Canada.”
The Honourable Lisa Raitt
Minister of Transport