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Change to Submission of Emergency Response Plans under Directive 071: Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements for the Petroleum Industry

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Release Date: February 02, 2017

 

The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) is changing the process for filing emergency response plans (ERPs). Effective February 2, 2017, ERPs are to be submitted electronically, through the AER’s Digital Data Submission (DDS) system, rather than by hard copy.

Directive 071: Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements for the Petroleum Industry has been revised to reflect this change. The February 2017 edition replaces the November 2009 edition, effective immediately.

The following is a summary of the revisions:

  • Section 1.6 – Added that licensees are required to submit their ERPs and updates through the DDS system.
  • Section 1.7 – Added that licensees are to upload the ERP application form to the DDS system.
  • Section 3.2 – Changed the requirement to email a copy of the ERCBH2S CSV file to the EPA section to upload a copy to the DDS system.
  • Section 5.7 – Changed the requirement to submit a paper copy of the ERP to submit an electronic copy of the ERP.
  • Appendix 5 – Replaced the direction to distribute one copy of the ERP to the ERCB field centre and to the ERCB EPA section with distribute one electronic copy to the AER via the DDS system.

No other requirements have been changed.

Companies are to use the DDS system to submit new ERPs requiring approval or any other plans relating to emergency response requested by the AER. Existing approved plans are to be converted to electronic format and submitted through the DDS system according to the existing plan maintenance schedule.

Electronic submission applies only to those ERPs submitted to the AER. For the distribution of plans to third parties, the requirements remain unchanged unless written consent is provided by the third party.

The AER may still require a company to provide a hard copy of its ERP upon request.

The DDS system is available through the AER website, www.aer.ca, under Systems & Tools > Digital Data Submission. Instructions on uploading ERPs and supporting documentation can be found in the DDS Online Guide under Registering Emergency Response Plans.

For questions about the electronic ERP submission process, contact Industry Relations at @email .

<original signed by>

Kirk Bailey
Executive Vice President
Operations Division