Transport Canada Bans Older Tank Cars From Transporting Crude Oil, Requires Shippers To Develop Emergency Response Assistance Plans

Transport Canada (TC) has issued two Protective Directions that will affect the transportation of crude oil by rail in Canada.

Protective Direction No. 33 requires persons who offer for transport or import crude oil (as well as diesel, gasoline and certain other petroleum products) to have in place by September 20, 2014, an Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP) approved by TC. ERAPs are intended to assist local emergency responders at an accident site by providing them access to technical experts and timely assistance by industry response teams with specialized equipment. Industry members subject to this new Protective Direction may choose to comply by developing their own individual ERAPs or joining a mutual and/or umbrella-type ERAP.