In October 2017, the British Columbia Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy released a new set of regulations on spill contingency planning, including spill contingency plans, drills and exercises, spill response actions and spill reporting requirements. 

This applies to transporters of 10,000 litres or more of liquid petroleum products by rail, pipeline and highway. More information can be found at http://gov.bc.ca.

While carriers and shippers have until October 2018 to fulfill these requirements, the planning must start now in order to have the appropriate emergency response and environmental emergency plans in place to meet the deadline.

You may not be in the business of emergency preparedness and response, but Emergency Response Assistance Canada is, with dedicated full-time staff to develop spill contingency plans. Visit erac.org to learn more about how to adhere to new regulations and develop a robust emergency management program.