At the very end of post 1 under item point 14), Pipeline and tanker transport details
yet to be clarified, item h), Tanker selection and sea conditions,
you will see that little is published about modern tanker design,
certification and maintenance of
tankers, improved weather forecasting, better navigational aids and applicable
rules and regulations. Some of the certification is referred to in post 4 but I
now received from my son Brian a much more detailed account of all the
regulations. Like for the pipeline itself I feel that if all regulations are
strictly followed not much can go wrong. This will require extra personnel. The
extra cost for the personnel will be insignificant compared to the money we lose
by not having this pipeline. In 2012 we lost $ 25 billion. In 2013 we shipped
230 000 barrels per day by rail and the losses dropped to $ 20 billion. It is expected they will stay at $ 15 billion
per year until we have sufficient pipeline capacity, see http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/07/04/sherry-cooper-we-cant-say-no-to-northern-gateway/
Brian has been at sea for 37 years, For 23 of those years he
has been in most BC coastal inlets on vessels of Fisheries Patrol and Ocean Science Research. By exchanging stories
with other mariners he has a good picture of what goes on in the tricky areas. He
has supervised refits for several ships and knows how, despite all the rules, mistakes
can go undetected without strict oversight by several independent authorities. Here
follows his account:
Shipping Crude oil in the Pacific Northwest.
Many concerned people are unaware of the
advances and improvements in the shipping industry that have been made in recent
years. Advances include, improved navigation technology, management practices, traffic
monitoring, ship design, communication, and stringent regulation.
Improved navigation aids include integrated
navigation systems such as electronic chart and information system .ECDIS
integrates electronic charts with other navigation systems such as GPS, Radar
and automatic identification systems (AIS). Ships over 300 tonnes gross are
required to be fitted with automatic identification systems and will
continuously transmit the vessels identity, position, speed, and heading. See
AIS link: http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/
Traffic monitoring and guidance has also
benefited with new technology. Marine communications and traffic services (MCTS)
have been in operation for many years and has evolved with the advent of new
technology such as AIS. Vessel traffic services (VTS) monitors vessel movement
and provides communications and information to vessels in transit. Vessels are
required to obtain clearance and report in at specified way points during
transit within Canadian waters. VTS also utilizes shore based radar and AIS to
assist in tracking and plotting of vessels in the zones. More shore based
radars are scheduled to be installed to improve coverage. See link to VTS: http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/e0003910
Canadian Marine Pilots are a mandatory requirement
for all vessels over 350 tonnes transiting Canadian waterways. These pilots are
certified and trained in the navigation of the vessels they are responsible
for. They have extensive local knowledge in the local waterways in which they
provide the service.
Management practices have evolved in order
to improve safety and minimize risk. International standards have been
developed in a safety management system (SMS). The SMS is a required management
format utilized to include vessel, and equipment specific needs and requirements.
The SMS system also includes training requirements, and reporting structure
allowing employees to identify risks.
Ship design has had many changes over the
years. New tanker requirements for ship design now include double hull and
segregated ballast. On board equipment has improved greatly over the years as
well giving much improved reliability and safety. New technology such as
integrated machinery alarm and control has been utilized to monitor the status
of all on board equipment. Safety equipment such as fire detection and
automated fire extinguishing have also improved with new technology.
Stringent regulation is achieved by
utilizing classification societies such as Lloyds Register, Det Norske
Veritas (DNV), Bureau Veritas, and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). These
classification societies are delegated to perform ship inspections and
certification on behalf of Transport Canada. The Delegated Statutory Inspection
Program (DSIP) allows Transport Canada inspectors to oversee the safety of the
large number of ships entering Canadian waters.
Transport Canada delegation program: http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/dvro-fsc-dspi-1781.htm
Bureau Veritas: http://www.bureauveritas.com/wps/wcm/connect/bv_com/group/home/about-us/our-business#
Lloyds: http://www.lr.org/en/marine/
Enbridge plans to ship crude oil from
Kitimat. This has been studied by Transport Canada through a review process.
The study and recommendations are available on the link below.
Link to Termpol review on Northern Gateway
Project (pdf): http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/fetch.asp?language=E&ID=A2Q4A7
I believe that new technology and improved
management has made shipping of crude oil in Canadian Waters a safe and
feasible proposal.
Brian Heesterman
Marine Engineer 1st Class.
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