Response Organizations and Oil Handling Facilities Regulations (SOR/95-405)

• 4. (1) The procedures to be implemented with respect to a spill of a specified quantity of oil in a geographical area include the following:

  • (a) the response to the oil spill is within the time set out in section 3 of the Response Organizations Standards;

  • (b) the number of metres of shoreline that are treated in a day is at least that set out in section 4 of the Response Organizations Standards;

  • (c) the maximum number of days required to complete the on-water recovery operations is that set out in section 5 of the Response Organizations Standards;

  • (d) the response operation is managed in coordination with the Canadian Coast Guard and federal, provincial and other bodies responsible for, or involved in, the protection of the environment;

  • (e) strategies appropriate for a simultaneous response are employed in all affected operating environments;

  • (f) in the case of an on-water recovery operation in unsheltered waters present in its geographical area, the equipment can be operated in Beaufort Force 4 conditions;

  • (g) the response capability in each applicable operating environment in primary areas of response and enhanced response areas is to be apportioned in accordance with the percentage of tiered response capability that is set out in Schedule II to the Response Organizations Standards; and

  • (h) the equipment and resources are provided to the persons managing the response operation.

• (2) The equipment and resources for use with respect to a spill of a specified quantity of oil in a geographical area include the following:

  • (a) equipment that is appropriate for responding to the oil spill; and

  • (b) the primary and secondary temporary storage capacities that are referred to in section 6 of the Response Organizations Standards.

5. The oil spill exercise programme referred to in  paragraph 3(2)(h) shall be carried out over a three-year period that begins on the day on which the certificate of designation is issued.

6. The equipment that is for a tier 1 response capability described in section 2 of the Response Organizations Standards and is to be deployed on the shoreline and in sheltered waters at a designated port may not be removed unless the Commissioner permits the removal for the purpose of protecting the environment.

7. A response organization shall submit to the Minister four copies of its response plan.

8. The Minister shall review a response plan within 90 days after the day on which it is submitted.

9. A response organization to which a certificate of designation has been issued pursuant to subsection 660.4(1) of the Act shall notify the Minister of all substantive changes to its response plan immediately after they are made and shall, at least annually, update its response plan.