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Train On Bridge

DERAILMENT/SPILL

OVERVIEW

A train derailment happens when rail cars leave the tracks. Depending on what those cars are carrying, a derailment can range from a minor disruption to a serious hazardous material emergency. Rail lines across BC regularly carry fuel, chemicals, coal, and other industrial products, and a derailment involving any of these can result in fuel leaks, chemical releases, or contamination of nearby land and water.

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A hazardous material spill can also occur independently of a derailment, from highway tanker crashes, pipelines, or industrial facilities. BC sees over 4,000 reported environmental emergencies a year, and roughly 95% of them are spills of oil or hazardous material.

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For Mainland Coast Salish communities located along or near rail corridors, highways, or waterways used to transport fuel and industrial products, both hazards carry real and ongoing risk.

Image by Brian Kyed

PREPAREDNESS

Because derailment response involves railways, provincial ministries, and multiple layers of government, having relationships and a plan in place before an incident happens is one of the most valuable things a community can have.

Information Access

Communities should identify which rail lines run through or near their territory and understand what those lines carry. Through Transport Canada Protective Direction 36, communities can designate and register an Emergency Planning Officer (EPO) through the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre (CANUTEC). The designated EPO receives bi-annual reports on dangerous goods transported through their jurisdiction.​ 

 

To register an EPO with CANUTEC, email: TC.ProtectiveDirection-OrdrePreventif.TC@tc.gc.ca
For CN-specific reports: PD36@cn.ca

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Registering for the province's Alertable spill notification service for First Nations (spillresponse@gov.bc.ca) ensures your community is notified when a spill or derailment occurs in your area. 

Planning

Building or updating your Community Emergency Preparedness Plan to include a hazardous material and rail incident annex is an important first step. The annex should include shelter-in-place and evacuation triggers specific to your community's location, and account for the types of materials that move through nearby transport corridors.

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The 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), published by Transport Canada, is a practical field reference for the initial phase of any transportation incident involving hazardous materials. It helps identify what a vehicle or rail car is carrying based on placards, UN ID numbers, or shipping papers, and provides immediate guidance on isolation distances and protective actions. EPCs and community emergency coordinators should keep a copy on hand and familiarize themselves with it before an incident occurs.

RESPONSE

If a spill is identified in the community, immediately contact the relevant organizations, alongside 9-1-1​

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Derailments

CN Rail: 1-800-465-9239

CPKC : 1-800-716-9132

BNSF : 1-800-832-5452

Any Hazardous Spills

Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre at

1-800-663-3456

All incidents

The relevant

Nation's band office

Fish

Spills affecting waterways can have serious and lasting impacts on fish, aquatic habitat, and traditional food sources. Communities should avoid harvesting or consuming fish or other traditional foods from affected waterways until contamination testing confirms it is safe.

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If community members wish to collect fish or water samples for contamination testing purposes, a Scientific Fish Collection Permit may be required for freshwater collection. These permits take time to process.

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If there are salmon in distress, contact the DFO 24-hour Observe, Record, Response Line at 1-800-465-4336.

LFFA (Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance) can be reached at 778-666-2910 and will typically contact the impacted Nation directly and coordinate the most appropriate response.

EMCR Task Number

Communities experiencing emergencies may be eligible to obtain an Emergency Management and Climate Readiness task number through the Southwest Region EMCR.

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A task number will enable your community to be compensated for resources spent on response. 

Evacuations

An evacuation due to a spill or derailment may be necessary. For information about evacuations, please visit our dedicated tab.

HOW WE CAN HELP

We support 31 communities, from Yale to Semiahmoo to Squamish, in improving emergency planning and preparedness at the local and regional levels. 

 

In an emergency, we can:

  • Provide surge support to administration and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

  • Assist with the coordination of resources to communities.

  • Facilitate coordination communication with affected community members and partners.

 

Before an emergency, we can:

  • Assist with project engagement for emergency-related projects.

  • Coordinate discussions and collaborative efforts between communities, governments and other agencies.

  • Assist in communications and information management for  contracts, projects and initiatives throughout the regional levels.

  • Assist in developing community emergency plans and preparedness toolkits for application during emergency situations.

 

Our vision is to have all of the 31 Mainland Coast Salish First Nations, from Yale to Squamish to Semiahmoo, resilient to existing and future disasters.

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