CALGARY, Jan. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - The National Energy Board (NEB) has finalized an order directing all of its regulated companies to make emergency management program information publicly available in an online format by July 31, 2017.
In response to a public consultation process last fall and careful consideration of the letters received, the NEB has made several changes to the Order (MO-002-2017) and corresponding guidance.
Comments made by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the City of Vancouver and Équiterre resulted in changes to the guidance in a number of areas, including: training and exercises; stakeholder liaison to prepare for emergencies; hazard identification, risk assessment and controls; and addressing regional-specific, site-specific and situation-specific concerns.
The NEB also agreed to extend the deadline for companies to publish their emergency management program online by four months from the originally planned deadline of March 31.
The Order directs companies to confirm with the NEB by August 15, 2017 that all the required emergency management program information has been published online.
All NEB-regulated company emergency management programs must include the following key elements:
- Policy and Commitment
- Goals and Objectives
- Public Safety Information
- An Emergency Procedures Manual
- Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Controls
- Clean-up and Remediation information
- Stakeholder Liaison to Prepare for Emergencies
- Continuing Education
- Training and Exercises
- Incident Management System
Earlier this month, the NEB also proposed changes that will require companies to provide additional emergency response detail during the pipeline application phase of a project.
Quote:
"The NEB is ensuring that Canadians have full access to emergency management program information of the companies we regulate. The NEB provides strict regulatory oversight of pipeline safety and environmental protection through the entire life of every NEB-regulated pipeline."
- Peter Watson, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, National Energy Board
Quick Facts:
- The NEB regulates approximately 73,000 kilometres of pipelines across Canada.
- Last year, the NEB became the first energy regulator in North America to require online publication of company emergency procedures manuals.
- NEB staff participated in 13 emergency response exercises and reviewed 97 Emergency Procedures Manuals in 2016.
Associated Link:
Accessing emergency management program information online (Order MO-002-2017)
The National Energy Board is an independent federal regulator of several parts of Canada's energy industry. It regulates pipelines, energy development and trade in the public interest with safety as its primary concern. For more information on the NEB and its mandate, please visit www.neb-one.gc.ca
SOURCE National Energy Board
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2017/30/c7227.html
James Stevenson, National Energy Board, Telephone: 403-613-6126, Email: [email protected]
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