OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 04/10/13 -- The Honourable Joe Oliver, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced that new measures to further strengthen Canada's pipeline safety record by adding new security and emergency management requirements have now come into affect. Currently, 99.9996 percent of the crude oil and petroleum product transported on federally regulated pipelines is done so safely and these measures aim to improve our record even further.
"Our Government is once again demonstrating its commitment to developing Canada's natural resources in a safe and environmentally responsible way," said Minister Oliver. "While our country's record of pipeline safety is very strong, we are committed to introducing new measures that enhance it even further."
Amendments to the National Energy Board's Onshore Pipeline Regulations have come into force ensuring that companies must now:
-- Appoint an accountable officer who would ensure that the company's
management system and programs are in compliance;
-- Develop and implement a security program. Specifically, a company would
be required to have a program that anticipates, prevents, manages and
mitigates conditions that could adversely affect people, property or the
environment; and
-- Develop and implement an emergency management program, including more
specific emergency-preparedness and response-related requirements.
These requirements are in addition to other actions that the Government of Canada has already taken to strengthen pipeline safety as part of its Responsible Resource Development plan. For example, the National Energy Board has increased annual inspections of oil and gas pipelines by 50 percent from 100 to 150 to improve pipeline safety across Canada. The Government is also doubling, from three to six, the number of comprehensive annual audits of oil and gas pipelines to identify potential safety issues before they occur.
For additional information on pipeline safety, please visit Natural Resources Canada's website: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/pipeline/6698.
NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.
Contacts:
Media may contact:
David Provencher
Press Secretary
Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources
613-996-2007
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa
613-992-4447
The general public may contact:
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Telephone: 613-995-0947
TTY: 613-996-4397
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questions@nrcan.gc.ca
