Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Service
Environmental Emergency Responsibilities
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Photo courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOACC)
Introduction
The Ministry of Environment’s environmental emergency mandate is to plan for, coordinate, implement and manage a program to protect the welfare of the public in the event of an environmental emergency or disaster. The Environmental Emergency Program helps to meet this mandate by developing and implementing tools to prevent, prepare for and respond to spills of harmful substances. More information on the environmental emergency responsibilities of the Ministry and the Environmental Emergency Program is available below.
What Threats or Hazards is the Ministry of Environment Responsible for?
In the Province of BC, the responsibility for emergency preparedness and response is shared. It is understood that no one agency can provide emergency management alone, as each threat (fire, floods, spills, epidemics, earthquakes) has different characteristics. For instance, most types of emergencies will have distinct players, present unique operational challenges and require the forging of new relationships. As a result, ministries within the government are designated to provide emergency preparedness and response for specific threats. The threat or hazard that a particular ministry is responsible for is a function of that ministry’s legal mandate, convention and capability.
The 1996 BC Emergency Program Act and its Emergency Program Management Regulation (schedule 1) identify the hazards for which the Ministry of Environment is the key provincial agency responsible. The Ministry provides central emergency planning and technical support for the following environmental and public safety threats:
- Oil and Hazardous Material Spills (Marine and Inland)
- Gas and Gas Leaks (pipeline)
- Water-related Debris Flows
- Erosion and Accretion
- Submarine Slides
The Ministry also provides support to other provincial agencies in the event of flood hazards, landslides, dam safety issues, and seismic threats.
Both lead role and support involvement of the ministry is undertaken as a shared responsibility under the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) and under the overall policy direction of the British Columbia Inter-agency Emergency Preparedness Council (IEPC).
What is the Role of the Environmental Emergency Program?
The Ministry's Environmental Emergency Program is responsible for responding to spills of hazardous materials and harmful substances. For instance, the program develops and implements tools to prevent, prepare for and respond to oil spills, chemical spills, and spills of any substance (e.g. salt, canola oil) that could disturb or harm the natural environment.
How Does the Environmental Emergency Program Fulfill its Responsibilities?
The Environmental Emergency Program prepares for and responds to spills of hazardous materials and substances by:
- Administering the Environmental Management Act, Spill Reporting Regulation and Spill Cost Recovery Regulation.
- Training and supporting Environmental Emergency Response Officers (EEROs) to deliver field assessment and response in the province’s regions.
- Establishing and managing Incident Management Teams and Technical Specialists to provide assistance in emergency situations for larger scale incidents.
- Maintaining a headquarters Environmental Emergency staff to undertake provincial, national and international response planning and liaison, policy and procedure development, and issue management.
- Developing Policies and Procedures, Plans, Operational Guidelines, Cooperative Agreements, Technical Documents, and establishing Emergency Operations Centres.
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