Council backs spill response planning
June 11, 2008
A Geographic Response Plan (GRP) is being piloted for Kitimat through the BC Environment ministry.
The project is being led by Mike Drumm, from the ministry office in Smithers.
He told city council a GRP contains maps and descriptions of sensitive natural and cultural resources as well as outline strategies to minimize damage from an oil spill.
“GRPs are designed to reduce those decision making times,” explained Drumm.
The plans will be made in co-operation with local governments, federal government, private sector and First Nations.
“Right now we’re in the first phase of development,” Drumm told the Sentinel.
Phase one creates work groups and committees as well as establishing the terms of reference.
The next phase will delve further into sensitivity assessments of the Kitimat arm area and develop counter measures.
The third will refine the plans and the fourth and final phase will include periodic testing to ensure their effectiveness.
Kitimat is the choice for this pilot project primarily because it has a major industrial port and a number of proposed projects including oil pipelines.
Drumm said the low population is also ideal as it makes for easier management.
The Kitimat GRP project is the first in a series across the province.
Drumm emphasized he was not looking for financial backing from the city, simply official support.
“What I’m actually looking for here is endorsement of this particular initiative,” he explained.
The only thing Drumm is asking out of the community is time from local response planners to help plan and review documents.
Councillor Feldhoff supported this project and believed ongoing involvement by the community would make a lot of sense.
The project’s funding is “up in the air”, said Drumm, adding a work group will be set up to figure out funding ventures.
There is limited funding from the higher levels of government as the GRP process is fairly new for this area.
Drumm noted that in the United States these processes are funded at the federal level.
The inaugural committee meeting for the GRP will be held at Alcan on June 13 and following that session the project will continue into the next phase.
A final product, said Drumm, will hopefully be ready by next Spring.
After Drumm’s presentation, council unanimously passed a motion to write a letter of support for the project.
Absent from the meeting were mayor Rick Wozney and councillors Ray Brady and Gerd Gottschling.
