Federal panel says time to upgrade tanker ship oil spill rules as traffic jumps

OTTAWA – A government-appointed expert panel has made 45 recommendations for improving Canada’s preparedness for oil spills from tanker ships and barges.

Their 66-page report notes that two current pipeline proposals alone could bring another 600 tankers through British Columbia waters, while posing new hazards by transporting diluted bitumen and liquefied natural gas.

The study recommends faster emergency response times to spills, removing the current $161 million liability limit per spill, annual training exercises, and regional risk assessments based on local geography.

According to the experts, current planning is “particularly lacking” in the area of cleaning and rehabilitating oiled wildlife and the management of the oily waste from spill recoveries.

And they are recommending increased resources for the Coast Guard, Environment Canada and Transport Canada to help improve the system.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt and Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver welcomed the report at a news conference in Vancouver, where Raitt says tanker safety is “simply common sense.”