OTTAWA – Months after the deadly train disaster in Lac-Megantic, Que., the federal government is forcing rail companies to tell municipalities when they transport dangerous goods through their communities.
But the information won’t flow until well after the dangerous substances in question have already rolled through town – months or even a full year later.
Transport Minister Lisa Raitt has issued what’s called a protective direction, in the hope it will mean better communication with rail companies and improved safety for municipalities.
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Raitt acknowledged that the information won’t prevent another tragedy like the one on July 6, when oil-laden tanker cars derailed and exploded into flames, killing dozens of people and decimating the picturesque core of Lac-Megantic.
But what it might do is give municipalities more tools to better prepare for possible future disasters, she said.
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“This part isn’t about prevention,” Raitt told a news conference in Ottawa. “This part is about response and ensuring that communities have the information that they identify that they want to have.”
It may also have something to do with a report from the auditor general due Tuesday that’s expected to linger on the issue of whether Transport Canada is effectively managing the risks of rail transport.
Wednesday’s order is effective immediately, and will require that Canadian Class 1 railway companies that transport dangerous goods provide municipalities with detailed dangerous goods information every three months.
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Any other company or person that transports dangerous goods will also have to inform municipalities what was transported through the community, but on an annual basis.
None of the information has to be provided in advance, although Raitt said that some rail companies are now proactively letting municipalities know what kind of dangerous goods are moving through their areas.
The announcement is “welcome news for Canadian communities,” said Claude Dauphin, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
“It sends a clear message that the government of Canada fully agrees that local governments need to know basic information about dangerous goods being transported through their communities.”
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