Oil spills on land to have provincial response team, says B.C. government
Organization would take action even before responsible party is identified
Plans are in the works to create a quicker, more coordinated response to land-based hazardous spills in British
Columbia.
Provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak says the province is working on creating an organization that will be able to immediately respond to all land-based spills with trained workers and proper equipment.
The minister says the provincially certified, industry-funded organization will be able to take action even before authorities have identified who's responsible for the spill and its clean up.
The province is also creating new legislation around spills, including requirements that companies prove they have plans in place to manage and respond to land-based spills.
The goal, Polak says, is to fill any gaps in existing federal and provincial legislation, particularly when it comes to co-ordinating responses to spills.
The government is expected to introduce the legislation next spring and the new spill response regime is expected to be in place by 2017.