Presentation Abstract
The risk of oil spills from existing oil infrastructure and transport presents a threat to aboriginal environmental and cultural values. First Nations can play a significant role in oil spill response to protect those resources. In this presentation, the authors summarize the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s involvement in this area and provide recommendations for developing capacity and maximizing effectiveness of First Nations’ participation in oil spill prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Prevention: First Nations should have the opportunity for consultation with provincial and federal regulatory agencies to ensure standards are adopted that reduce to the maximum extent possible the risk of spill incidents within their traditional territories. Preparedness: First Nations can work with response organizations to ensure that important environmental and cultural values, such as archaeological sites, are designated high priority for protection in geographic response plans. First Nations might also develop their own Incident Management policies or procedures to guide their involvement in the Incident Command System during a spill event. These initiatives should be scalable and include the capacity to address worst case scenario spills. Response: First Nations have human resources available for training and employment often in isolated or key areas; reserve land might also available for pre-siting equipment and supplies. First Nations and their local or traditional knowledge also have a key role to play in shoreline assessments, particularly when archaeological or cultural resources are present. Recovery: clean-up standards need to take into account First Nation priorities because of their reliance on local natural resources for sustenance, ceremonial and economic purposes. Standards should also be set high enough to provide net environmental benefit at the end of any recovery period. Developing the capacity for First Nation involvement in oil spill response as described in this presentation will require financial support from industry or government. Such support will provide for a more robust, effective system for oil spill prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
Session Title
Session S-10C: Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Issues in the Salish Sea and Pacific Northwest
Conference Track
Emerging Contaminants and Emergencies
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2-5-2014 1:30 PM
End Date
2-5-2014 3:00 PM
Location
Room 606
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Oil spills--British Columbia--Prevention; Oil spills--Cleanup--British Columbia; Indians of North America--British Columbia--Government relations; Indians of North America--British Columbia--Social life and customs
Geographic Coverage
British Columbia; Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
The role of First Nations in oil spill prevention, preparedness, response and recovery in British Columbia
Room 606
The risk of oil spills from existing oil infrastructure and transport presents a threat to aboriginal environmental and cultural values. First Nations can play a significant role in oil spill response to protect those resources. In this presentation, the authors summarize the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s involvement in this area and provide recommendations for developing capacity and maximizing effectiveness of First Nations’ participation in oil spill prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Prevention: First Nations should have the opportunity for consultation with provincial and federal regulatory agencies to ensure standards are adopted that reduce to the maximum extent possible the risk of spill incidents within their traditional territories. Preparedness: First Nations can work with response organizations to ensure that important environmental and cultural values, such as archaeological sites, are designated high priority for protection in geographic response plans. First Nations might also develop their own Incident Management policies or procedures to guide their involvement in the Incident Command System during a spill event. These initiatives should be scalable and include the capacity to address worst case scenario spills. Response: First Nations have human resources available for training and employment often in isolated or key areas; reserve land might also available for pre-siting equipment and supplies. First Nations and their local or traditional knowledge also have a key role to play in shoreline assessments, particularly when archaeological or cultural resources are present. Recovery: clean-up standards need to take into account First Nation priorities because of their reliance on local natural resources for sustenance, ceremonial and economic purposes. Standards should also be set high enough to provide net environmental benefit at the end of any recovery period. Developing the capacity for First Nation involvement in oil spill response as described in this presentation will require financial support from industry or government. Such support will provide for a more robust, effective system for oil spill prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
