British ColumbiaJurisdictional Update

Pacific States / British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force AGM

September 2013, Seattle, Washington

Wes Shoemaker, Deputy Minister

British Columbia Ministry of Environment

Our Mandate is to plan for, coordinate, implement and manage a program to protect the environment and the public in the event of an environmental emergency or disaster.

Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski

Recovery Operation:

US Navy Transport Ship

Heavy Oil Recovery

Unified Command

Approx. 3,500 notifications on environmental emergencies per year – 90% minor.

Increasing industrial / transport activity, particularly oil and gas, port development

Diverse environment; terrain, weather, and natural hazards.

Spills in BC

Natural Resource & Transportation Developments

• Natural Resources Oil and gas Mining

• Accessing Markets Pipelines Rail and roads Port Expansion

Requirements for B.C. to Consider Support for Heavy Oil Pipelines

1. Successful completion of the environmental review process;

2. World-leading marine oil spill response, prevention and recovery systems to manage and mitigate the risks and costs of heavy oil pipelines and shipments;

3. World-leading practices for land oil spill prevention, response and recovery systems to manage and mitigate the risks and costs of heavy oil pipelines;

4. Legal requirements regarding Aboriginal and treaty rights are addressed, and First Nations are provided with the opportunities; and

5. British Columbia receives a fair share of the fiscal and economic benefits of a proposed heavy oil project that reflects the level, degree and nature of the risk borne by the province,

the environment and taxpayers.

World Leading Marine Regime

Federal Review

Tanker Safety Expert Panel Liability and Compensation review

Provincial Assessment

Submission to tanker panel 3rd party consultant reports

World Leading Land Regime

Create a world class regime for spill preparedness and response

Ensure effective government oversight of industry spill response

Develop standards and a process for restoration of the

environment following a spill

Incorporates industry funding into government program budgets and spill response funds;

Have emergency response staff and robust prevention, preparedness and response work.

Require coordinated industry geographic response plans; and/or,

Allow for meeting contingency plan requirements through a spill response organizations.

Our neighbouring coastal jurisdictions...

Land Based Spill Preparedness and Response

Review

November 2012 – Intentions Paper & consultation

March 2013 – Symposium on world-leading practices in spill response

Spring 2013 – Advisory Committee and Working Groups formed

Spring 2013 to now – Province engaging with WGs on preparedness, response and recovery

Next steps

Three technical working groups conclude.

Advisory Committee provides analysis of policy options

Ministry reviews input and prepares draft policy direction

Release of second intentions paper and consultation

Review of consultation input and drafting of enabling legislation

For additional information on BC’s

Environmental Emergency Program,

please visit our website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/eemp

Thank You!