RESPONDER THE THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CANADIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE CONTRACTORS’ ALLIANCE CERCA: SPRING / SUMMER 2024 Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661Spring / Summer 2024 | 5 Published By: Matrix Group Publishing Inc. Publication Mail Agreement Number: 40609661 Return all undeliverable addresses to: 309 Youville Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2S9 Toll-Free: (866) 999-1299 Toll-Free Fax: (866) 244-2544 sales@matrixgroupinc.net www.matrixgroupinc.net President & CEO Jack Andress Operations Manager Shoshana Weinberg sweinberg@matrixgroupinc.net Senior Publisher Jessica Potter jpotter@matrixgroupinc.net Editor-in-Chief Shannon Savory ssavory@matrixgroupinc.net Editors / Social Media Managers Jenna Collignon, Paul Adair, Kaitlin Vitt Finance / Administration Lloyd Weinberg, Nathan Redekop accounting@matrixgroupinc.net Director of Circulation & Distribution Lloyd Weinberg distribution@matrixgroupinc.net Sales Manager Jeff Cash jcash@matrixgroupinc.net Matrix Group Publishing Inc. 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CERCA’S WORD 07 A Message from the Chair ON THE COVER 08 Selecting an Emergency Response Service Provider FEATURES 13 OSR: Emergency Response with Integrity 16 The TRANSCAER Initiative: Enhancing Transportation of Dangerous Goods Safety and Preparedness 19 When You Need a Rapid Response CERCA SERVING YOU 21 Meet CERCA’s Contractor Members 25 Membership Application 24 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS TABLE OF SPRING / SUMMER 2024 13 16 08 19 CONTENTS On the Cover: When choosing a emergency response service provider, you need to consider factors such as speed of execution, capability, and capacity – contractors must be engaged and understand how to do the job right – and be able to do it right away. Photo courtesy of Shawn Barton, CERCA Chair. RESPONDER THE THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CANADIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE CONTRACTORS’ ALLIANCE CERCA: SPRING / SUMMER 2024 Canada Post Mail Publications Agreement Number: 40609661 CERCA: THE RESPONDER Published For: Canadian Emergency Response Contractors’ Alliance c/o Shawn Barton 200-5035 South Service Road Burlington, ON L7L 6M9 Tel: (416) 253-6000 shawn.barton@qmenv.com www.cerca-aceiu.ca To advertise in next issue, contact sales@matrixgroupinc.net / 866-999-1299. Read past issues at https://www.cerca-aceiu.ca/the-responder.Spring / Summer 2024 | 7 of member companies and the group as whole. • Working together with public and private sector stakeholders to continue to promote and support the design and implementation of a specialized Canadian training center that will deliver increased capability and capacity both in the response contracting space, as well as the larger industrial operations space for Canadian markets. • Exploration of increased affiliation with like-minded and structurally complimentary organizations that operate in the dangerous goods handling and transportation spaces, as well as the broader industrial service applications space. • A determined focus on collaboration and community, with and eye to collating related conferences, meetings, and events held within the response and preparedness communities – in both the public and private sectors – to bring these communities closer together in a meaningful way, while reduce the costs of participation in multiple, similar events. • Identification and entry into emerging and evolving markets that currently exist on the periphery of our collective suites of services, including climate change-related markets, exponentially changing technology sector advances in data gathering, management, and interpretation, and hydrocarbon alternative energy sectors, just to name a few. The road ahead I am confident in our ability to succeed. We have the best of the best in Canadian talent at our disposal, and I am excited to play a role in pushing the envelope and embracing new and changing ways of doing business to match the times. I encourage all members, affiliates, and the greater response and preparedness community to reach out to us regularly and engage often as we strive to expand the CERCA name, presence, and value in the Canadian mar- ketplace. On behalf of the CERCA executive team, I wish you a prosperous and safe 2024 and look forward to seeing you all in person at our Spring meeting in Saskatoon! elcome to the Spring 2024 edi- tion of CERCA: the Responder. It is my pleasure to once again be welcomed into the role of Chair for the Canadian Emergency Response Contractors Alliance (CERCA), and I am hon- ored for the continued opportunity to work alongside such a talented and driven team of professionals. CERCA is a melting pot of some of the most highly trained and special- ized talent that North America has to offer in the environmental emergency response and preparedness space. In a year marked by escalating envi- ronmental issues and social and economic upheaval, many businesses and industry organizations are finding prudence in self- reflection and strategic preparation that will help cement their position as sustainable and marketable entities in an undefined and rapidly evolving commercial landscape. CERCA, although not structured for profit, is no different. The Executive Committee remains committed to our mission to provide and promote a network of sound environmental emergency response service providers in Canada, and it has its sights set on redefin- ing, expanding, and accessing the total avail- able market for our member organizations. The CERCA executive team meets regular- ly to have open and ever evolving discussions that focus on the value and sustainability of the organization. Over the first quarter of 2024, we set the wheels in motion to focus on a number of initiatives through the balance of my two-year term. Between now and the fall of 2025, members and affiliates will see a call to arms for support and resources to advance these initiatives which include: • Increasing awareness and accessibility of our member contractors, vendor, and associate members through targeted advertising campaigns and increased technology-based accessibility tools. This initiative will focus on directing a broader market audience towards CERCA’s interactive website to aid in contractor selection and highlight capability, capacity and service offerings CERCA'S WORD MEET THE CERCA TEAM CHAIR Shawn Barton QM Environmental Tel: (236) 983-1537 shawn.barton@qmenv.com VICE-CHAIR Andy Jeves NUCOR Environmental Solutions Ltd. Tel: (604) 910-6796 andyj@nucorenv.ca TREASURER Jessica Cain GFL Environmental Services Inc. Tel: (437) 997-1886 jkovatch@gflenv.com SECRETARY John Zaidan Cameco Tel: (306) 956-8060 john_zaidan@cameco.com PAST CHAIR David Hill GFL Environmental Services Inc. Tel: (416) 458-9096 david.hill@gflenv.com COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Shawn Barton QM Environmental Tel: (236) 983-1537 shawn.barton@qmenv.com Shawn Barton Chair, CERCA8 | The official publication of the Canadian Emergency Response Contractors’ Alliance ON THE COVER n the dynamic world of dan- gerous goods / non-hazard- ous materials response, the effectiveness of an emergency response contractor is crucial to protecting and preserving the environment we live in, as well as stakeholder inter- ests. The requirements for speed of execution, coupled with relevant capability and capacity, must be balanced to promote the desired outcomes at all events. It is critical then, when selecting an emer- gency response service provider, con- tractors are engaged and understand how to do the job right – and be able to do it right away. Even though current Canadian pro- vincial and federal regulations provide some parameters that govern specific aspects of the work that emergency response service providers perform, there is currently no overarching regula- tory definition that licenses or mandates set a high bar in Canada in terms of championing the safest and most effec- tive means of responding to and miti- gating all manners and magnitude of dangerous goods and non-hazardous materials-related events across Canada. Now, many emergencies later, CERCA is recognized internationally as a pre- mier association of verified emergency response contractors and environmental emergency response-related resources. Throughout the years, the mandate of CERCA has been to provide and pro- mote a network of sound environmental emergency response service providers in Canada. “In a nutshell, the primary function of CERCA is to facilitate productive inter- actions between end users of emergency environmental response services, and the contractors that have been verified by industry experts as capable to provide them,” says Shawn Barton, CERCA Chair and veteran contractor. “We also take an active role in regularly communicating the structure, capability, capacity, or pro- cedures used when promoting an orga- nization as being qualified to perform environmental emergency response work in Canada. This brings significant meaning to the Latin adage ‘caveat emp- tor,’ which translates to ‘let the buyer beware.’ This is particularly true on an indus- trial level, where misjudgments can have significant consequences. After all, delays and mistakes caused by inepti- tude or inexperience can prove costly in terms of risks not only to human health, safety, and the environment, but also to commercial interests, such as produc- tion slowdowns, cost overruns, and an organization’s loss of reputation. It is for these reasons that the Cana- dian Emergency Response Contractors Alliance (CERCA) was created. The role of CERCA Immediately after its inception nearly 30 years ago, CERCA and its members By Paul Adair, Staff Writer Selecting an Emergency Response Service Provider Knowing how to choose the right emergency response contractor for the task at hand is paramount to protecting and preserving the environment we live in. Photo courtesy of Andy Jeves, CERCA Vice-Chair, Nucor Environmental.Spring / Summer 2024 | 9 governance (ESG) policies, corporate structure, and accessibility is contained within this assessment. This is a valu- able tool that can provide the end user with a fuller understanding of what each available contractor brings to the table. Responsible parties in need of response services can rest easy knowing that, when they see the CERCA-verified stamp of approval, the research has been done and the contractor has a proven track record of being both capable and professional. The benefits of membership CERCA offers a range of membership types, including Contractor, Association, and Corporate. The benefits of CERCA in the marketplace extend well beyond their quality emergency response ser- vices; CERCA delivers tangible benefits to members as well. Membership provides free admis- sion to CERCA’s in-person semi-annual Website’s features include both an interactive member location map, where users can geographically observe and select options relative to an event loca- tion; a comprehensive member section, which provides at-a-glance access to ver- ified contractor members, association, and corporate members; and regulatory advisors and applicants who have pre- pared themselves for assessment but have not yet received their verification. Within the Members Section, copies of each contractor’s current Certificate of Verification, biennial Standard Assess- ment, and standard annual updates are available for review to aid in selection of contractors that have specific capabili- ties and capacity relating to class, mode, or chemical-specific demonstrated com- petencies. A comprehensive 27-page detail, cov- ering everything from proven experi- ence, equipment, maintenance, safe- ty records, environmental, social, and changes in best practices and stan- dards, as well as any other new or rel- evant information through a number of forums, including semi-annual con- ferences and the CERCA: The Responder magazine.” To accomplish its objectives, CERCA and its industry partners have developed and maintained a two-year verification cycle that involves partner organizations – such as the Chemistry Industry Asso- ciation of Canada’s (CIAC) Transportation Emergency Assistance Program (TEAP III) – and subject matter experts representing Class 1 and short line railway, marine and road transportation, and chemical manu- facturing and distribution industries. “These process can, at first glance, seem daunting and extremely detailed, however CERCA and its industry part- ners have taken great care to keep the requirements to a minimum,” says Bar- ton. “It is a complex service that requires acute attention to many details in order to ensure that all parties are receiving safe and effective services from our members.” How to choose a contractor Despite CERCA’s long tenure and its active role in the Canadian dangerous goods response marketplace, recurring questions that the CERCA leadership team and members regularly encounter are related to how to source and select qualified dangerous goods emergency response contractors that are suitable for the task at hand. “While CERCA and its partners con- tinue to frequently promote our mem- bership of qualified, skilled, and veri- fied contractors, in many private and public sector companies, the answer to the question of, ‘Where do I look when a spill occurs?’ is too often, ‘Google it,’” says Barton. “Because of this, CERCA is actively reintroducing itself in 2024 to an expanded audience and is raising aware- ness regarding access to its membership and advocating for the availability of the best-of-the-best emergency response contractors in the country.” CERCA’s website – www.cerca-aceiu. ca – is specifically designed to enable direct access to verified contractor mem- bers, as well as a host of additional relat- ed resources – many of which can come into play during a release, or potential release, of dangerous goods. CERCA Corporate member ECRC- SIMEC Training and awareness session using 'Dolly' tank truck simulator. Photo courtesy of Shawn Barton, CERCA Chair. CERCA Biannual meeting, Fire and Emergency Services Training Institute (FESTI), Mississauga Ontario. Photo courtesy of Shawn Barton, CERCA Chair.Next >