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TP 743
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Transport Canada > Marine Safety Home Page > Transport Publications | Marine Safety > TERMPOL Review Process 2001 | TP 743 | Marine Safety

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PART 1

1 APPLICATION AND INTENT OF THE TERMPOL REVIEW PROCESS

1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 TRP EXCLUSIONS AND OVERLAPS
1.3 RATIONALE FOR THE TRP
1.4 STATUS OF THE TRP
1.5 PROPONENT’S PARTICIPATION
1.6 INITIATION OF THE TERMPOL REVIEW PROCESS

1.1 INTRODUCTION  ^

1.1.1 "TERMPOL Review Process (TRP)" refers to the Technical Review Process of Marine Terminal Systems and Transshipment Sites". The TRP focuses on a dedicated design ship’s selected route in waters under Canadian jurisdiction to its berth at a proposed marine terminal or transshipment site and, specifically, to the process of cargo handling between vessels, or off-loading from ship to shore or vice-versa. The TRP applies to:
  • the specialized equipment and procedures necessary at proposed bulk oil, chemical, liquefied gas terminals and any other cargoes which may be identified by Transport Canada, Marine Safety (TCMS);
  • proposed transshipment facilities for these substances; and
  • any proposed changes to existing terminals or designated transshipment sites or facilities for these substances.
1.1.2 A marine terminal system is arbitrarily defined in the TRP to mean the ship’s berth, its approaches from seaward and related port or terminal infrastructures. A transshipment site is defined in the TRP to mean a designated location for the transfer of cargo between vessels, including bulk oil, chemicals, liquefied gases and any other cargoes which may be identified by the TCMS as posing a risk to the ship, public or environmental safety.

1.1.3 The intent of the TRP is to ameliorate, where possible, those elements of a proposal which could, in certain circumstances, threaten the integrity of the ship’s hull and its cargo containment system and, consequently, the environment in the vicinity of the design ship while it is navigating in waters under Canadian Jurisdiction. The TRP also applies the same considerations to cargo transfer operations both alongside the proposed terminal and at any designated transshipment site. The TRP applies to operational safety measures intended to address site-specific circumstances and those along the associated navigational route(s).

1.1.4 In conducting a TEMPOL Review, it is necessary that the proponent’s submission demonstrates that:

  • the operator’s or owner’s safety management system is in accordance with recognized safe management procedures;
  • arrangements are planned to conduct on-going operational audits of the safety and management system;
  • major accident hazard in the context of the proposed operation have been identified; and
  • the risks therefrom have been evaluated and measures taken to reduce those risks to an acceptable level using the best available technology.

 

1.2 TRP EXCLUSIONS AND OVERLAPS  ^

1.2.1 The TRP is not intended to assess the terminal’s land based shore installations, hinterland cargo handling or storage facilities. Nevertheless, the TRP addresses several specific "terrestrial" aspects such as the terminal wharf structure, mooring specifications and instrumentation, and those aspects of the terminal’s operation and associated contingency planning that are applicable to the design ships using the terminal. This inclusion of terrestrial elements in the vicinity of the berth is minimal, but necessary from the perspective of inter-dependent safety aspects.

1.2.2 The TRP does not prescribe detailed standards for the siting, design, construction, and operation of marine terminal and transportation systems. Nor does the TRP replace, or necessarily satisfy the requirements of an environmental impact assessment process under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) or navigation impact assessment under the Navigable Water Protection Act (NWPA). The TRP, however, may contribute to the fulfillment of the first stage of the federal environmental assessment process. Appropriate agencies should be consulted in this regard.

 

1.3 RATIONALE FOR THE TRP  ^

1.3.1 The construction and subsequent operation of a new, modified, or recommissioned marine terminal system for oil, chemicals, liquefied gases, or any other identified substance, or of a new, modified, or recommissioned transshipment site, would introduce changes in regional shipping activity. Such developments may also pose a threat to the environment or to the safety of the communities along the proposed route(s) to and from the terminal or transshipment site. A TRP requires consideration be given to a range of subject matters such as, but not limited to:
  • the potential effects of increased shipping activity on existing regional shipping networks and fishing ground activities;
  • the perceived environmental concerns attributable to pollutant cargoes carried by the additional ships;
  • perceived risks to communities along the route to the terminal or transshipment site in the case of ships carrying commodities such as, but not limited to, those considered in this document which may pose a concern to public safety or health;
  • the navigational safety of the ship route(s) leading to a proposed new, modified, or recommissioned marine terminal or transshipment site;
  • the level of services required to facilitate safe navigation such as fixed and floating aids, vessel traffic services, offshore electronic position fixing systems, requirements for pilotage and radiocommunications along the ship route(s);
  • the suitability of the design ship;
  • the design ship’s manoeuvring characteristics, navigational and radiocommunications equipment, its cargo containment and handling systems in terms of operational safety;
  • the adequacy of the design ship’s berth and related terminal service requirements;
  • pollution prevention programs; and
  • marine contingency planning and related emergency counter-measures.

 

1.4 STATUS OF THE TRP  ^

1.4.1 The TRP is not a regulatory instrument. Its provisions, therefore are not mandatory. The TRP’s criteria, however, are used by TCMS in determining the need for making or revising specific regulations, or for implementing special precautionary measures that may affect a ship’s operation within a particular marine terminal system or transshipment site.

1.4.2 Any report issued by a TERMPOL Review Committee (TRP) should neither be interpreted as a statement of government policy, nor should it be inferred that the government endorses the report in whole, or in part. The report reflects only the judgments of the departmental representatives who reviewed the proposal and prepared the report. Consequently, the conclusions and recommendations presented in a TERMPOL report are not binding on any department, agency, group or individual. Implementation of any recommendation, however, is the prerogative of applicable departmental executives performing regulatory functions or of the proponent, as appropriate.

1.4.3 Fisheries and Oceans Canada will ensure the safe and environmentally responsible use of Canada’s waters, support understanding and management of oceans resources, facilitate the use of Canadian waters for shipping, recreation and fishing, and provide marine expertise in support of Canada’s domestic and international interests.

Transport Canada Marine Safety is responsible for the administration of national and international laws designed to ensure the safe operation, navigation, design and maintenance of ships, protection of life and property and prevention of ship source pollution.

It must be understood, however, that DFO CCG and TCMS regulatory roles are separate and distinct from their roles in the TRP which is essentially a data and operational review process. The conclusions and recommendations contained in a TERMPOL report do not relieve a proponent from an obligation to fully comply with all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements promulgated, and as amended from time to time, by the various federal and provincial statutes and regulations which apply to shipping safety and to the protection of the environment. These Acts include but are not limited to:

  • the Canada Shipping Act;
  • the Navigable Waters Protection Act;
  • the Arctic Waters Protection Act;
  • the Canadian Environmental Protection Act;
  • the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act;
  • the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act;
  • the Fisheries Act;
  • the Oceans Act; and
  • the Canada Marine Act.
1.4.4 The purpose of the TRP is to objectively appraise operational ship safety, route safety, management and environmental concerns associated with the location, construction and subsequent operation of a marine terminal system for the bulk handling of oil, chemicals, liquefied gases or other cargoes identified by TCMS, or of the designation and subsequent operation of any transshipment site for these or other substances which may pose a risk to public safety or the environment. Such an appraisal, using the procedures and methodologies described in the TRP, enables an inter-departmental committee to identify potential problems and to recommend appropriate ameliorative measures.

1.4.5 TCMS publishes and coordinates the TRP. Each participating department involved in the review is individually responsible for its contributions and recommendations within its own particular area of expertise and responsibility.

1.4.6 An integral part of the TRP is to aid in the development of operationally safe marine transportation systems in waters under Canadian jurisdiction.

 

1.5 PROPONENT’S PARTICIPATION  ^

1.5.1 The success of the TRP depends largely upon the proponent’s adherence to the procedures described in the TRP, and the quality of the data submitted to the Committee conducting the review. The TRC is not necessarily limited to the data supplied by the proponent because departmental databases or other sources of information may enable the TRC to verify much of the substance of the proponent’s submission and to identify potential problems. Through this cooperative "one window" procedure, the proponent and the department(s) can conduct an informed and comprehensive review of a particular proposal and ascertain, objectively, those measures which will improve the safe navigation and operation of the design ship in waters under Canadian jurisdiction and ameliorate environmental concerns at an early stage of a proposed project.

 

1.6 INITIATION OF THE TERMPOL REVIEW PROCESS  ^

1.6.1 The TRP would be initiated by the proponent addressing a request for review, in writing, to TCMS as a complement to the requirements of NWPA process.

The CCG administers NWPA. The purpose of the NWPA is to protect the public right of navigation by prohibiting the building or placement of any work in, upon, over, under, through, or across a navigable waterway without the approval of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

1.6.2 The proponent’s project manager and other representatives are encouraged to informally discuss all relevant subject matters relating to a TRP submission with representatives of the department(s) listed in Section 2.1 as soon as designated. This recommended procedure ensures:
  • a clear understanding of the review process;
  • identifies data available to the proponent from departmental sources; and
  • enables the proponent’s representatives to determine the scope and depth of the data required.

(See Figure 1, "Responsibilities of the TERMPOL Review Committee (TRC)")

1.6.3 After the proponent formally requests a review under the TRP, the Director General (AMS) of TCMS appoints a chairperson who convenes a TRC comprising representatives from all departments or agencies with expertise or responsibilities relevant to the project.

1.6.4 The TRC and the proponent’s representatives should meet soon after the Committee is convened in order to:

  • agree on the scope, and format of the studies and surveys required from the proponent;
  • establish administrative lines of communication between the TRC and the proponent’s representatives;
  • agree on a schedule of periodic progress meetings with the proponent’s representatives; and
  • inform the proponent’s representatives of federal databases and other information resources available to them.
1.6.5 Twenty five (25) printed copies of the proponent’s submission will be required as well as floppy disks using current word processing software, IBM compatible. The submission should be sent to:

 

Director General
Marine Safety
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville
Sparks Street 11th floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N8
Tel.: (613) 998-0610
Fax: (613) 954-1032

 

Alternatively, if the TRC is based in a Region, the submission could be sent to the Regional Director Transport Canada, Marine Safety.

1.6.6 During the TRP, the Committee may identify information gaps, or it may require amplification of data provided by the proponent. Requests of this nature will be directed to the proponent’s representatives using the administrative procedure agreed upon during the initial meeting.

1.6.7 The proponent’s submission, or submissions, will be treated as "industrially confidential" information if required for the duration of the review. The information will be available to the public only after the release of the TERMPOL Review Report (TRR).

1.6.8 The composition and operation of the TRC is described in greater detail in Part 2 of the TRP. Part 3 of the TRP describes the various surveys and studies which may be required in the TRR.

 

  ^

STAGE

ACTIVITY

1 TERMPOL Review Committee (TRC) constituted.

1.1 Initial review of proposed project outline.

 

1.2 Initial discussion of surveys and studies required.

 

1.3 Identify departmental resources available.

2. TRC meets with proponent/proponent’s representatives.

2.1 Agree on scope and depth of surveys and studies required.

 

2.2 Inform proponent / proponent’s representatives of departmental information resources available.

 

2.3 Agree on format of proponent’s submission.

 

2.4 Establish administrative lines of communication.

 

2.5 Agree on schedule of progress meetings (if necessary).

3. TRC Chairperson receives proponent’s submission.

3.1 Proponent’s submission distributed to TRC.

4. TRC begins review process.

4.1 TRC identifies need for additional information or amplification of information provided.

 

4.2 TRC meets with proponent’s representatives (if necessary).

 

4.3 TRC may seek expert advice on matters raised in proponent’s submission.

5. TRC submits report to TCMS - AMS

5.1 AMS approves TRC Report with authorities from other departments.

6. AMS forwards report to Proponent.

 

 

Figure 1: Responsibilities of the TERMPOL Review Committee (TRC)  

  ^

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