Canada Shipping Act, 2001

Marginal note:Powers of pollution response officers — general

• 175.1 (1) A pollution response officer may

  • (a) direct a vessel, if it is about to enter or is within waters in respect of which this Part applies, to provide him or her with any information that he or she considers appropriate for the administration of this Part;

  • (b) direct any vessel that is within or about to enter waters in respect of which this Part applies and that he or she believes on reasonable grounds to be carrying a pollutant to proceed through those waters by the route, and at a speed not in excess of the speed, that he or she may specify;

  • (c) direct a vessel that is required to have a shipboard oil pollution emergency plan under the regulations to provide information concerning it and its implementation;

  • (d) direct the operator of an oil handling facility to provide any document that the operator is required to have on site under this Part; and

  • (e) direct a response organization to provide any document that the organization is required to have under this Part.

• Marginal note:Powers — discharge of pollutant

  (2) If the pollution response officer believes on reasonable grounds that a vessel might discharge, or might have discharged, a pollutant, he or she may

  • (a) direct a vessel that is within or about to enter waters in respect of which this Part applies to proceed through those waters by the route, and at a speed not in excess of the speed, that he or she may specify;

  • (b) go on board and take samples of any substance that he or she believes to be the pollutant;

  • (c) if the vessel is within or about to enter waters in respect of which this Part applies, direct the vessel to

    • (i) proceed to the place within waters in respect of which this Part applies that he or she may specify, by the route and in the manner that he or she may specify, and to moor, anchor or remain there for any reasonable period that he or she may specify,

    • (ii) proceed out of waters in respect of which this Part applies, by the route and in the manner that he or she may specify, or

    • (iii) remain outside waters in respect of which this Part applies; and

  • (d) if he or she is informed that a substantial quantity of a pollutant has entered or been discharged in waters in respect of which this Part applies, or if on reasonable grounds he or she is satisfied that a grave and imminent danger of a substantial discharge of a pollutant in those waters exists, declare an emergency zone, the size of which is reasonable with regard to the seriousness of the situation, and

    • (i) direct any vessel within that emergency zone to report its position to him or her,

    • (ii) direct any vessel not to enter or not to leave the emergency zone, and

    • (iii) direct any vessel within the emergency zone in respect of routes, speed limits and pilotage and equipment requirements.

• Marginal note:Disposition of samples

  (3) An officer who takes a sample under paragraph (2)(b) may dispose of it in any manner that he or she considers appropriate or may submit it for analysis or examination to a person designated by the Minister.

• Marginal note:Certificate or report

  (4) A person who has made an analysis or examination may issue a certificate or report that sets out the results of the analysis or examination.

• Marginal note:Certificate

  (5) Subject to subsections (6) and (7), the certificate or report is admissible in evidence in any proceeding related to an offence under this Part and, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, is proof of the statements contained in the certificate or report without proof of the signature or the official character of the person appearing to have signed it.

• Marginal note:Attendance of person

  (6) The party against whom the certificate or report is produced may, with leave of the court, require for the purposes of cross-examination the attendance of the person who issued it.

• Marginal note:Notice

  (7) The certificate or report may be admitted in evidence only if the party who intends to produce it has given to the party against whom it is intended to be produced reasonable notice of that intention, together with a copy of the certificate or report.