Transportation of Dangerous Goods

Closing Summary

The 2016-2017 Canada-US Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) Work Plan for Transportation of Dangerous Goods is now closed. The U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) and Transport Canada (TC) will continue exploring opportunities to align national standards and regulations, share data, analysis and research, and collaborate on international standards and initiatives.

The collaborative work between the two countries has yielded many accomplishments, including regulatory amendments. For example, Canada’s Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations now enable:

• mutual recognition of specifications for pressure receptacles;
• mutual recognition of special permits and equivalency certificates; and
• an improved tank car for the transportation of flammable liquids, including petroleum crude oil.

These accomplishments will reduce administrative burden, duplication of efforts and enhance oversight, while facilitating the transport of dangerous goods across our borders.

Regulatory area to be addressed

Transportation of Dangerous Goods

Transport Canada and the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will strive to more closely align their regulatory regimes for the transportation of dangerous goods, including working to align national standards and regulations; sharing data, analyses and research; and working together on international initiatives.

Department/Agency

Work stream A

Aligning national standards and regulations: Work toward mutual recognition of standards and regulations where matching equivalencies can be found to reduce duplication across the Canada-U.S. border. Discussions will take into account the respective deliberation processes, contextual considerations, and legal frameworks to arrive at recommendations.

Mutual recognition of standard pressure receptacles

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Pursue mutual recognition of cylinders in Canada and the U.S.	May 2017

Recognition of inspection and repairs under U.S. requirements for highway transport

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Pursue recognition of facilities in Canada that hold a Certificate of Authorization from a provincial pressure vessel jurisdiction for repair, to repair DOT specification cargo tanks that are used to transport hazardous materials in the U.S.	January 2017

Alignment and mutual recognition of tank truck (cargo tank) standards

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Complete a feasibility analysis of a common North American standard for fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) cargo tanks that would allow recognition of FRP cargo tanks in both Canada and the U.S.	January 2018

Mutual recognition of special permits and approvals

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Pursue mutual recognition of special permits and approvals in Canada and the U.S.	May 2017

Mutual recognition of One Time Movement Approvals (OTMAs)/Temporary Certificates that are not yet mutually recognized between Canada and the U.S.

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Pursue mutual recognition of OTMAs/temporary certificates that are not currently recognized.	December 2017

Greater alignment of regulatory requirements for the transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by rail

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Complete analysis of differences between Canadian and U.S. regulatory requirements for the transportation of LNGs by rail	July 2017
Analyze and evaluate opportunities for alignment (e.g. tank car standards) – U.S. to examine adopting Canadian standards.	January 2018

Exemptions to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR) and Exceptions to 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for potential harmonization between Canada and the U.S.

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Hold exploratory discussions on opportunities to harmonize on exemptions to TDGR & exceptions to 49 CFR.	January 2017
TC and PHMSA to develop a joint list of exemptions to consider harmonizing in the short and long term.	January 2018

Harmonization on placarding of trucks and tank cars returning to country of origin

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
TC to pursue amendments to allow trucks and tank cars entering Canada from the U.S. to keep their original placards when returning to the U.S. from their destination in Canada.	July 2018

Standardization of hazard communication

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Identify differences in hazard communication (e.g. placarding) for dangerous goods.	December 2016
Develop a list of hazard communication differences that TC and PHMSA will work to resolve (i.e. for which a common approach could be developed).	July 2017

Work stream B

Sharing data, analyses and research: Advancing better information sharing as part of the regulatory decision-making process. Leveraging research resources, national strengths / specialities, joint research collaboration, and preventing duplication (where possible) to support a more aligned regulatory regime for the transport of dangerous goods in North America and internationally.

Exchange and discuss information on risk assessment/analysis and research

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Exchange lists of priorities for risk assessment, analysis and research.	December 2016
Regularly scheduled discussions on risk prioritization	December 2016

Work stream C

International Engagement: There are a number of North American issues on the transportation of dangerous goods which require work through international fora, or work at international locations. TC and PHMSA will explore opportunities to work collaboratively on these issues.

Exploration of engagement with Mexico on the transportation of dangerous goods

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Hold discussions on how Canada, the U.S. and Mexico can enhance collaboration on regulatory issues related to the transportation of dangerous goods, and to advance North American issues in international fora.	July 2017

Collaboration on international standards and initiatives

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Establish coordinated joint positions, wherever practicable, through participation in international fora, including the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN SCE TDG) and/or the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Dangerous Goods Panel (ICAO DGP).	July 2018

Foreign means of containment inspections

Planned initiatives and sub-deliverables	Date
Hold discussions on how to enhance collaboration between TC and PHMSA on the inspection of means of containment outside of Canada and the U.S.	July 2017