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- About the Emergency Response Task Force
- Emergency Response Task Force terms of reference
- Reports
- Summary of meetings and activities
- Membership
- Questions and comments
- Agendas and decision records
- Reference documents
About the Emergency Response Task Force
In November 2013, during the Transportation of Dangerous Goods General Policy Advisory Council (TDG-GPAC) meeting, the Minister of Transport created a working group to examine expanding the Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP) requirement to crude oil and other Class 3 Flammable Liquids.
On January 23, 2014 the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) issued a recommendation that Transport Canada "at a minimum, require ERAPs for the transportation of large volumes of liquid hydrocarbons."
On January 31, 2014 the TDG-GPAC working group tabled their report to the Minister of Transport, recommending that Transport Canada:
- require an ERAP "for all Packing Group I and Packing Group II Class 3 Flammable Liquids,";
- "Conduct further study on the properties of different Class 3 Flammable Liquids to determine if ERAPs should be required for these products."
With these recommendations in mind, on April 23, 2014, the Minister announced a TDG Emergency Response Task Force to conduct further research, assess, evaluate and make recommendations to advance and make improvements to the ERAP program.
On July 27, 2015, the Minister of Transport extended the Emergency Response Task Force's mandate until May 1, 2016.
On March 17, 2016, the Emergency Response Task Force concluded its last meeting.
On July 13, 2016, the Emergency Response Task Force presented the final report to Transport Canada.
On December 23, 2016, the final report was published on Transport Canada’s website.
As of September 2018, all 40 recommendations were completed.
Emergency Response Task Force terms of reference
- The Emergency Response Task Force Terms of Reference
- Addendum to the Emergency Response Task Force Terms of Reference
Reports
- Emergency Response Task Force - First Quarterly Report
- Emergency Response Task Force - Second Quarterly Report and Recommendations
- Emergency Response Task Force - Third Quarterly Report and Recommendations
- Emergency Response Task Force – Final Report and Recommendations – Comprehensive Strategy for Improving TDG Incident Response in Canada (PDF, 3.69 MB)
Summary of meetings and activities
Plenary meetings took place every month from July 2014 to June 2015 and from November 2015 to March 2016. Members agreed on a work plan to strategize and prioritize items for discussion. Five (5) subgroups focused on specific topics.
Emergency Response Task Force and related meetings have concluded in May 2016. Please see the Meeting agendas and Records of Decisions.
Membership
The Emergency Response Task Force was led by the Chair, Chris Powers, and Vice-Chairs Louis Laferriere (August 2014 - April 2015) and Adrian Michielsen (November 2015 - May 2016).
The Emergency Response Task Force generated much interest and stakeholder engagement. The initial membership of 20 people represented key stakeholders from across Canada and the United States; including railways, petroleum and ethanol industries, emergency response contractors, first responder groups including First Nations, provinces/territories, municipalities, as well as Transport Canada and other federal government departments. Members demonstrated a strong commitment to this initiative, and membership continued to increase after the Emergency Response Task Forces’s launch in July 2014.
By the end of the mandate in May 2016, over 90 participants volunteered their time, effort, and expertise to work together to provide meaningful recommendations to Transport Canada. A list of participating organizations and their representatives, as well as an overview of some accomplishments can be found by consulting the ERTF Report Card (PDF, 706 KB).
Contact:
NCRTDGASDSInput-ContributionsTMDRCN@tc.gc.ca
Questions and comments
Submit your questions and/or comments to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Directorate’s Secretariat at:
NCRTDGASDSInput-ContributionsTMDRCN@tc.gc.ca
or
Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Directorate Secretariat’s (ASDS)
Transport Canada
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5
Agendas and Records of decisions
July 10, 2014 – Meeting
August 14, 2014 – Meeting
September 11, 2014 – Meeting
October 9, 2014 – Meeting
November 20, 2014 – Meeting
December 11, 2014 – Meeting
January 15, 2015 – Meeting
February 19, 2015 – Meeting
March 19, 2015 – Meeting
April 16, 2015 – Meeting
May 14, 2015 - Meeting
June 11, 2015 - Meeting
November 19, 2015 - Meeting
December 17, 2015 – Meeting
January 21, 2016 – Meeting
February 18, 2016 – Meeting
March 17, 2016 – Meeting
Reference Documents
| Grange Report – Mississauga Railway Accident Inquiry (1981) | http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pco-bcp/commissions-ef/grange1981-eng/grange1981-eng.htm |
|---|---|
| TSB Report – January 23, 2014 | http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/recommandations-recommendations/rail/2014/rec-r1401-r1403.asp |
| TSB Final Report – August 19, 2014 | http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/communiques/rail/2014/r13d0054-20140819.asp |