Question Period Note: Canadian Pacific Railway Crude Oil Derailment Lanigan, Saskatchewan

• I’m aware of the Canadian Pacific Railway train derailment near Lanigan, Saskatchewan. The Government of Canada continues to monitor the situation closely.
• Officials from Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada have deployed to the accident. The Transportation Safety Board is the federal agency responsible for investigating rail accidents for cause and contributing factors. Transport Canada’s role is to monitor railway companies for compliance with rules, regulations and standards in the areas of rail safety and the transportation of dangerous goods.
• We cannot speculate on the cause of the accident, but the Government of Canada will take immediate action if rail safety or transportation of dangerous goods deficiencies are identified.
• The Government of Canada has taken a number of steps over recent years to improve rail safety and the transportation of dangerous goods in Canada and we are continuously looking at ways to make further improvements.

• The incident resulted in 1.5 million liters of oil spilled most of it consumed in the fire, the remaining is currently being recovered from the ground.
• CP’s last visual track inspection was conducted on December 8, 2019.
• Prior to the derailment, the last train to travel on the track was going westbound on December 8, 2019 at 2100 Central Standard Time.
• In addition to the railways mandated inspections, Transport Canada last conducted a regulatory inspection over this section of track on August 27, 2019 and no issue were noted.
• Some of the steps we have taken to enhance rail safety are:
o Accelerated on two separate occasions the timeline for removing the remaining least crash-resistant rail tank cars that transport crude oil and condensates, which are types of flammable liquids, by issuing Protective Direction 39.
o All rail tank cars transporting flammable liquids entering Canada, whether in transit or as a final destination, must meet the Canadian phase-out schedule.
o In fact, only the most crash-resistant tank cars available are used to transport crude oil in Canada.
• Issued a Ministerial Order instructing railway companies to revise the Work/Rest Rules for Railway Operating Employees to ensure they reflect the latest fatigue science and fatigue management practices.
• Published draft regulations for locomotive voice and video recorders.

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