Guidance for the environmental public health management of crude oil incidents

Crude oil spills/releases, alone or in combination with combustion/explosion of the oil, have been the cause of several major disasters in Canada and around the world including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the 1989 grounding of the Exxon Valdez . The 2013 Lac-Mégantic, QC derailment was the most significant disaster involving crude oil in Canadian history, and left 47 dead, a devastated community and significant environmental damage.

After the Lac-Mégantic disaster, the public health community and emergency management practitioners, as well as numerous groups involved in crude oil transport and use and concerned citizens, felt the need for a guidance document addressing the key features of crude oil incidents and their management.

This guidance document was prepared to fulfil this need, and is directed primarily at environmental public health and emergency management practitioners responsible for the public health management of chemical incidents. It is intended to assist in the development of emergency preparedness plans (notably awareness, education, and training activities) and in the design of scenarios for emergency exercises.