Canadian ’s Role in Spill Prevention, Emergency Preparedness & Response Outline

• International framework for shipping

• Pillars of the marine safety system

• Roles and responsibilities

• Canadian Coast Guard’s role in spill prevention, preparedness and response

2 Context – International Framework

International conventions set standards for safe and environmentally responsible shipping:

• Safety (Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention) – how a vessel is built and its equipment • Pollution Prevention (Marine Pollution (MARPOL) convention): pollution equipment and limits on discharges • Preparedness and Response (OPRC): international cooperation on preparedness and response to oil pollution; • Mariner Qualifications (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention): training required for each crew member based on their position. • Liability and Compensation: international regime made up of the ‘Civil Liability Convention’, the Bunkers Convention, international compensation funds, Wreck Removal Convention, and Hazardous and Noxious Substances Convention.

3 Context – Pillars of ’s Marine Safety System

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, AND SAFE AND EFFICIENT SHIPPING

PREVENTION PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION • Legislation, regulations and • Certified Response Organizations standards • Inspection of oil handling facilities • Polluter pays principle • Information and aids to support safe • Monitoring marine activity (e.g. • International consistency navigation National Aerial Surveillance Program) • Compensation for response, • Vessel Routing Measures • Scientific research clean-up, and damage from oil spills from ships • Vessel Traffic Services • National contingency plan and • Waterways Management regional annexes • Canada’s Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund • Icebreaking Services • Area and local response plans • Crew Certification • • Pilotage, escort tugs • Training and exercises • Vessel inspections, Port State • Incident Command System Control • Strategic positioning of • Marine Security (vessels and marine environmental response equipment facilities) • Resident and cascading resources • Enforcement tools

4 Roles in Prevention, Preparedness and Response

Lead federal departments Other

Pilotage Authorities: Local Canadian Coast Guard Environment and Climate waterways expertise • Lead for legislative and • Lead federal agency for Change Canada Port Authorities: regulatory oversight (e.g. ensuring an appropriate • Provides scientific advice and Stewardship of federal port inspections and enforcement) response to marine pollution technical support during lands • Certification of Response incidents environmental emergencies, Response Organizations: Organizations with support from Fisheries Industry funded organizations and Oceans Canada that provide clean-up services to the polluter or CCG Interdepartmental Collaboration Polluter: Financial responsibility for all reasonable costs

5 Canadian Coast Guard

• The Coast Guard is the lead federal agency responsible for ensuring an appropriate response to marine pollution incidents and exercises a leadership role in responses to ship-source spills, mystery-source spills, pollution incidents that occur at oil handling facilities as a result of loading or unloading oil to or from ships, and spills from any source originating in foreign waters that impact Canadian waters.

• The objectives of the Environmental Response (ER) program of the Canadian Coast Guard are to: – Minimize the environmental, economic and public safety impacts of marine pollution incidents, and; – Provide ER services following natural or man-made disasters. 6 Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS)

Our ears on the water

• Monitors radio frequencies and responds to calls for assistance and other safety related matters

• Broadcasts maritime safety information

• Issues and disseminates Navigation Warnings

Staying on top of vessel traffic

• Strategically monitors and plans vessel movements

• Provides navigational information and assistance

• Screens vessels and issues clearance to ships prior to entry into Canadian waters

7 Aids to Navigation

Aids to Navigation are devices or systems, external to a vessel, which are provided to assist mariners in determining position and course, to warn of dangers or obstructions or to advise of the location of the best or preferred route.

8 Preparedness

Preparedness

• Spill response plans

• Pre-positioning of equipment caches and staffed depots

• Response training

• Routine coordination of exercises with partners

• International cooperation

9 Planning

National Policy

National Contingency Plan

Regional Contingency Plans

CCG Area Plans

Local Plans i.e., Geographic Response Strategies, First Nations/Community Spill Plans 10 Coast Guard ER Equipment

Masset Prince Rupert (staffed X5) Queen Charlotte City

Sandspit Kitimat

Shearwater

Bella Bella Bella Coola

Port Hardy (staffed X3)

Gold River Campbell River Tofino Powell River

Ucluelet French Creek Ganges Richmond(staffedX5) ER Depot Pollution Kit Victoria (staffed X5) 11 Coast Guard ER Equipment Cache

12 Environmental Response Training

Coast Guard delivers environmental response and incident management training to:

• Coast Guard personnel • Response partners, such as First Nations, federal agencies and local communities

13 Environmental Response Training

14 Environmental Response Exercises

15 International Cooperation

Coast Guard and US Coast Guard maintain the Joint Contingency Plan for Marine Pollution nationally as well as two geographic annexes on the west coast.

• CANUSPAC

• CANUSDIX

16 Alert! (or Notification)

Marine Pollution is reported to the Coast Guard through the Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) or Coast Guard Pollution Reporting Line via 24/7 Regional Operations Centre: 1-800-889-8852

17 Alert / Notification

• In 2018, Coast Guard Western Region received over 1,100 reports of possible marine pollution • Each report is assessed by 24/7/365 on- call Coast Guard response staff • The Regional Operations Centre creates a pollution report for each call • Pollution Reports are distributed to a broad audience for awareness • Additional Notifications and activation are made when necessary 18 Assessment and Verification

19 Initial Response

• Coast Guard gathers information and assesses every reported pollution situation

• Communicates with the ship’s Master

• Confirms notification of Response Organization

• Mobilizes staff for deployment

• Notifies/activates partners through Coast Guard Regional Operations Centre

• Contacts the National Environmental Emergencies Centre

20 Initial Response – On the Water

• Response equipment and personnel are mobilized and begin to arrive on-scene

• Assess safety • Stabilize vessel • Stop source of pollution • Deploy booms • Begin recovery • Initial shoreline protection

21 Response – Incident Management

Partners integrate through the use of the Incident Command System (ICS):

• Internationally-used standard for managing emergency incidents and planned events

• Allows seamless integration of different agencies or organizations into a unified command structure

• Enables efficient resource allocation; avoids duplication of efforts

22 Sustained Response

23 Conclusion

• Prevention is key with many people working 24/7/365 to avert incidents from happening.

• We continually work with many partners to plan, train and exercise together ensuring the highest level of preparedness.

• When an incident happens, the Coast Guard participates with First Nations, provinces, territories, municipalities, first responders, scientists, private sector experts and others to ensure a strong and timely response.

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