CSTC Pipeline Safety Report - First Nations LNG Strategy

Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
Pipeline Safety and Training Workshop
Report
November 4, 2014
Table of Contents
Introduction
3
Pipeline Safety
4
Opportunities for First Nations Participation
9
Training
8
Next Steps
14
Appendix I
15
Introduction
In support of a world-class pipeline safety system, a strategy is being developed to better integrate
Aboriginal communities in pipeline safety operations, including prevention, preparedness and
emergency response. The broad strategy will outline key operating principles, objectives and
related actions for all parties including industry, Aboriginal communities and governments. A key
part of this strategy is to hold workshops with Aboriginal communities across BC.
On November 4, 2014 a workshop was held at the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council’s (CSTC) office,
where twenty-three participants from the CSTC communities, consultants, and representatives
from the provincial and federal government attended. A full list of attendees can be found at the
end of this document, in Appendix I.
The purpose of this workshop was to provide an increased knowledge and understanding by First
Nations of Canada’s pipeline safety regime and planned programs to help dispel current
misinformation, and to show how government measures address the concerns and interests of
Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, to identify areas where First Nations may be willing to
participate in Canada’s pipeline safety regime, including areas for further discussion and followup.
Objectives
The objectives of the day’s workshop were as follows:
• To develop a shared understanding of the potential prevention, preparedness and emergency
response benefits of better integrating Aboriginal communities in pipeline safety. This was
the focus of the morning session.
• To develop training and employment strategies leading to greater Aboriginal participation in
employment opportunities related to pipeline safety and general employment opportunities
related to west coast energy infrastructure development. This was the focus of the afternoon
session.
Agenda
This workshop was organized around having open, exploratory discussions around the following
two sessions:
Pipeline Safety – Morning Session
• Discuss First Nation’s perspectives on pipeline safety and potential opportunities for
Aboriginal participation (First Nations).
• Share details around recently announced pipeline safety measures/world class pipeline safety
regime (Government of Canada and BC Government).
• Discuss current/best practices for Aboriginal participation in pipeline safety (Industry).
Skills and Training – Afternoon Session
• Share information about best practices in skills training programs.
• Understand CSTC’s skills and training concerns and priorities related to west coast energy
infrastructure.
• Understand the current programs, especially the Skills Partnership Fund (SPF) and identify
potential projects.
• Inform Canada and BC about the skills training needs as they relate to energy infrastructure
of CSTC communities.
Two participants each from the Nadleh Whut'en, Nak'azdli Band, Stellat'en First Nation, Saik'uz
First Nation, Takla Lake First Nation, Tl'azt'en Nation, Ts'il Kaz Koh, and the Wet'suwet'en First
Nation joined federal and provincial government participants to discuss pipeline safety and best
practices around skills and training programs for Aboriginal communities.
The following pages of this document provides a summary on different perspectives of how
pipeline safety and sufficient training is a major issue for member nations of the CSTC, along
with programs and opportunities the government is putting together to try and address these
issues.
First Nations Perspectives on Pipeline Safety
Hearing First Nation perspectives on pipeline safety kicked off the day’s workshop with Tribal
Chief Terry Teegee, who voiced a significant concern among First Nations along the LNG
corridor – that being, if the nations agreed to put pipelines in their territory, how can it be assured
those natural gas pipelines will not be converted to oil pipelines in the future.
First Nation participants agreed that health and safety standards must be set at a national and
community level. There needs to be an umbrella of standard safety practices but also custom
practices, realizing that every community is different with individual needs. First Nations’ need to
ensure that they can continue to hunt and gather, and practice their traditional way of life.
Meaningful partnerships with industry and effective training/education, along with capacity
building programs whereby First Nations (especially youth) can get involved in environmental
management, monitoring, etc. is essential.
“We are the protectors and stewards of the land, and we will be here long after the projects have
passed.” – First Nations participant
There was an overarching concern among First Nation participants about social problems that can
arise from projects such as this (e.g. drugs and alcohol, highway safety, traffic through territories,
health care pressures, camp safety and location, crime, divorce, etc.). It is important to recognize
that these measures require capacity funding in order for the communities to effectively deal with
it.
Further concerns raised by First Nation participants were about cumulative impacts, water safety,
salmon and sturgeon stocks, and pipelines opening up opportunities for further drilling by other
proponents.
First Nation participants collectively felt that proponents are not talking about pipeline
safety at the community level, and concerns are not being addressed (e.g. fires and other
major hazards). Fire protection plans are of no use if communities do not have human
resources to implement them. There is a lack of baseline data around safety, and this
needs to be addressed at all levels.
Federal Pipeline Safety Regime
Introducing the federal pipeline safety regime, and its plan going forward, was Natural Resources
Canada representative Terry Hubbard.
The federal government outlined its commitment to establishing a world-class pipeline safety
system and is looking at strategies to improve the system going forward, while keeping up to date
on the best practices.
Outlined in Hubbard’s presentation, the safety regime involves the following:
1. Prevention - developing frameworks to prevent problems before they happen.
2. Preparedness and response - the National Energy Board will have specific authorities to step
in and take care of problems if they arise.
3. Liability and compensation - if an accident happens, communities will be compensated and
the polluter will be responsible for the clean up. The plan is to legislate requirements and
benchmarks.
An emergency response plan needs to be in place where local communities get involved and help
using their direct knowledge, to address the incident command system. The plan at the federal
level is to respond and test individual safety and emergency preparedness plans on a regular basis.
In order to further develop the safety regime plan, ongoing conversations and engagement
activities are required from First Nation participants. Specific interests need to be identified from
a variety of perspectives, including cultural and environmental concerns.
A point of agreement between all participants is that there is a desire among
governments and First Nations alike to increase Aboriginal involvement in these
opportunities, and to create opportunities and build participation in environmental
monitoring, construction, and preparedness plans, etc.
Provincial Pipeline Safety Regime
Outlining the current provincial pipeline safety regime through a PowerPoint presentation was
BC Oil and Gas Commission’s Jason Wilson.
According to provincial and federal regimes, before moving forward on any pipeline, an
environmental assessment (EA) is required. Once the EA application is submitted, the following
reviews are assigned:
• Agriculture land review
• Archaeology review
• First Nations review
• Forestry review, if a cutting permit is required
• Land and habitat review
• Engineering review
Proponents must follow the risk reduction regime through inspection and monitoring when it
comes to working with pipelines. The methods and procedures are as follows:
1. Look at corrosion monitoring systems and devices, leak detection methods and devices.
2. Monitor pigging systems, close interval and coating assessment surveys.
3. Shutdown devices and systems, pressure control, pressure limiting and pressure relieving
systems, pipeline valves – if a breach occurs.
4. Continual pipeline patrolling, inspection of exposed piping for corrosion and other
imperfections.
5. Direct assessments.
The presentation outlined that all safety standards must be met, and if companies are not meeting
safety standards, they are subject to regulations (which may involve fines) with the aim of
resolving any safety issues. The priority is always for the issue to be fixed. If it cannot be fixed,
the pipeline will be shut down.
First Nation participants expressed their concerns with fire hazards around pipelines, and the best
way to prevent them. Generally, pipelines are three feet below the surface and ground
temperatures will cool the pipeline down. If there is a fire outside of the pipeline (e.g. a forest
fire), the pipeline will be shut down. According to Kennedy, this process represents both crisis
management and preventative management.
Another concern among the First Nation participants was that pipelines can receive intentional
threats, by terrorist or anti-pipeline groups. In these cases, the province states, there are damage
prevention programs and safety requirements in place to protect those pipelines. Generally, the
company is responsible as a first responder and will bring in security to respond to the situation.
If there is criminal activity, the RCMP will get involved. All of these details would be included in
the emergency response plan created for each community.
Preparing for All Types of Spills
The Provincial Response Plan
According to the BC Ministry of Environment’s Graham Knox, the province’s job is to ensure the
environment is properly cleaned up. They work with the company or agency in charge, whether
it’s the National Energy Board (NEB), the lead federal agency, or the First Nations (if they are
the ones impacted).
The province believes in putting forth the most effective response plan possible. The existing
regime needs to be reevaluated and improved. Spills happen so quickly and they cannot wait. The
province wants to increase the current mandatory response times geographically.
“We’re talking about a much finer response time; evidence based planning. The regulations are
falling on people and we’re talking about going beyond remediation.” – Provincial representative
From time to time big spills happen and they need to be addressed right away. There needs to be
compensation for communities to address the spills, and more importantly, those people
addressing the spills need to be prepared.
The province plans to have representatives go out to individual communities and assess plans
already in place, to make sure they will work in real life situations.
First Nation participants at the workshop expressed a need to ensure that local
Aboriginal contractors are the ones contacted when a spill happens, and not an outsider.
The preparedness and response plan would have to spell this out in the plan that is
created. First Nation responders need to be trained so they are qualified to respond to
emergencies.
More information on this plan can be read in full at
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/codes/spr_eep/pdf/spill_response_ip_2.pdf.
Identifying Next Steps for the Road Ahead
Keeping in line with the workshop’s goals, the group collectively identified areas where First
Nations can actively participate in Canada’s pipeline safety plan. The following points were
agreed on as suitable next steps:
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Hold an implementation exercise in individual communities so First Nations can
react to situations. If they know what to do, they can react to it.
o Should be done once a year or every couple years.
Train members to be first responders in their communities.
First Nations need to collaborate on the design of the preparedness and response
regime framework.
Governments and First Nations must work together to flesh out plans and ensure
they meet peoples’ needs.
There is an ongoing need in communities to understand what the process is for new
regulations taking effect and when they are taking effect.
Ensure First Nations are involved in the construction, monitoring and operation of
the pipelines.
Provide education and create awareness on the ground in communities about
pipeline safety.
Develop a communications feedback loop so that First Nations know that their words
are actually considered and understand how plans, legislation, policy etc. change as a
result.
Hold an LNG 101 workshop at the community level.
Look at implementing specific emergency plans in individual communities.
Training
Best practices and current programs
The most important and pressing issue expressed by First Nation participants was employment
and training, which was voiced in this particularly active afternoon session.
Karin Hunt, Executive Director of The Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and
Training Association (PGNAETA), says that long lasting opportunities need to be created for
local First Nations – a point agreed upon by all First Nation participants.
Associations such as PGNAETA have done really well with students, who have gone away from
their programs and made careers in the oil and gas industry.
Four major themes of First Nation’s concerns came out of this particular training discussion.
These themes are as follows:
•
Education - The majority of First Nations do not have a GED, or a high level of training, and
likely experience literacy issues. PGNAETA did a campaign to reach out to communities to
see what the interest was for local people to embark on training, and found that only 24% had
the literacy level to take on a trade. Students at PGNAETA do very well and have an average
84% success rate, but the government and/or industry is not addressing issues in the
community, and when it comes to literacy, nobody is doing anything about it.
•
Funding - In terms of LNG and First Nations communities, resources need to be put in place
to address the people who are not quite ready for employment. Employment services need to
be supported, especially at the community level because that is where all the work will
initially be done.
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Training and employment - Targeted people for these programs should be everyone and
anyone that is looking for work. Normally, youth are the main audience, but the truth is that
there are a lot of people out there looking for work, and sometimes it’s skilled people who are
looking for a career change. Training and employment services need to cater to all types of
groups.
•
Emergency responsiveness - When it comes to emergency responsiveness, a group of people
should be trained in the community, and not just one person. In this regard, knowledge can be
passed and shared with the younger generation. This will ensure the land is cared for now and
in the future.
Canada’s Skills & Partnership Fund
Brenda Metropolit and Alison Olney with Service Canada presented the Skills & Partnership
Fund (SPF), which provides funding through programs for First Nations communities.
This fund is offering three programs in BC for $10 million for over a three-year period. The
project can take up to three years, but cannot exceed those three years.
The purpose of the SPF is to:
• Drive innovation in service delivery and systems through partnership;
• Respond to economic partnership opportunities with targeted labour force
development initiatives; and
• Address program delivery weaknesses and/or gaps in Canada's
network of Aboriginal organizations that provide labour market services.
The SPF is looking for a 50% partnership on these programs. It could be with industry, a private
sector, or local business – such as PGNAETA, which has been successful in the past. The key is
to create a mutual and beneficial partnership.
This funding can be focused on emergency preparedness, but there are a lot of different things
that can be looked at as well.
First Nation participants expressed a concern that a lot of communities may face barriers due to
restrictions or boundaries outlined in program much like the SPF, and may not meet the
requirements, whether it be enough skilled workers or sufficient facilities, etc., making the
possibility of working on projects like this quite difficult.
Service Canada noted that there is flexibility around building these programs to meet the needs of
First Nations to ensure it works for them and other communities looking to get involved.
Ultimately, the goal is make this work for First Nations and to help them succeed in these
programs. For more information on this program, please visit the Service Canada website.
BC’s Aboriginal Skills Training Initiative
Juanita Berkhout, with the Intergovernmental and Community Relations division, closed off the
afternoon skills and training session with the BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint – a provincial
program with a specific focus on skills training in Aboriginal communities.
Working collaboratively with the federal government and ministries, the goal of this program is
to have 15,000 Aboriginal workers up and running within the next few years.
To ensure a successful initiative, the province proactively worked with First Nations communities
in BC’s north and lower mainland. The key themes that came out of this are as follows:
1. There is a need for information on programs and services from governments and industry to
live in one place.
• An inventory of this list has been prepared and is a current, living document on the
website. This will be continually updated.
2. More community based training is needed.
3. There is a need for skills and life skills training in the communities.
4. There needs to be a holistic approach to training and to provide support by helping members
receive that training. This might come in the form of daycare, transportation, etc.
5. There needs to be in-community support to help navigate these programs.
6. Create long-term plans and develop workforce strategies.
7. There is a need and interest for business development and entrepreneurship.
The goal is to work with Aboriginal communities to see if a more collaborative approach can be
created to meet the above needs and support them. This may involve bringing in industry,
ministries, school and health, etc. to move forward. The programs need to align community
interests with the proposed approach.
In a group discussion, government representatives asked First Nation participants what
it would take to make training sessions successful in communities. The collaborative
response was to provide trainees with the essentials needed for the duration of the
session, such as meals, transportation, stationery to write with, childcare, etc. – so that
participants may attend these training sessions and have the support they need.
First Nation Perspectives on Training
Identifying gaps and opportunities
As the group reflected on the day’s topics, CSTC’s band manager Ben Berland voiced the
teachings he has learned from expert Dr. Ruby Payne about the nine resources that make a person
successful. If a person has three or less of these resources, then they are more likely to make poor
decisions. If money is thrown at one problem and does not address the other 8, then the real
problems are not being addressed. There needs to be support systems in place for people. These
essential life resources need to be built into all training and employment programs if First Nations
people are to succeed. The nine essential resources are:
1. Financial
2. Emotional
3. Mental
4. Spiritual or a belief in a higher being
5. Physical
6. Support systems
7. Relationships/Role models
8. Knowledge of middle class rules
9. Language - written and oral skills
In an active group discussion, First Nation participants felt that any plan moving forward needs to
be aligned with First Nations people, to help them out of poverty and into sustainable
employment. It is not good enough to have First Nations trained for bare minimum jobs when so
much more is attainable.
“Our people need to be the technicians at the highest level!” – First Nation participant
Many First Nation participants agree that future generations need to be prepared and groomed for
the struggles they might face in this industry. Are they going to face racism? Are they going to be
in a safe work environment? If the work environment is not changing, then tools are needed to
deal with these factors. It is a hard industry for young, Aboriginal men to phase in to.
Participants agreed that a good launching point is to hold an ‘LNG 101’ in their communities, and
to encourage industry to do the same for First Nations culture and history. First Nation
participants felt that this step shows willingness to work together and understand each other.
First Nation participants in attendance were pleased with the serious commitment from
the provincial and federal governments moving forward to try and create programs that
work. They emphasized that the parameters of government training programs often did
not match the needs of their First Nation members especially in remote rural setting.
No two First Nations are the same but the idea to start building partnerships and
moving forward to create something that will work is a good start. They felt the
information they received through the day was very positive and should be
communicated to all member communities, so everyone can see the progress being made.
Next Steps
After a full day of information sharing and two-way dialogue, the group reflected on the day and
outlined a number of opportunities for both First Nations and government. Both parties recognize
that the framework is evolving and that there are a number of opportunities for growth. With both
sides of the table coming together, progress has started and input will continue to flow in from all
sides.
An essential piece that must come out of the day’s workshop is a dialogue loop – what is going to
happen with the feedback heard and where will it go?
Government representatives asked First Nation participants to list some immediate next steps that
they would like to see. These steps were outlined as follows:
• Plan community visits to have ‘LNG 101’ sessions and training;
• More information and education to be provided at the grassroots level; and
• Host a workshop for the region with a similar format to the November 4th session.
Appendix I – Attendees
CSTC and communities
Ben Berland (Carrier Sekani Tribal Council)
Adrienne Fitzpatrick (LNG Coordinator, Nak'azdli Band)
Albert George (Saik’uz First Nation)
Angel Ransom (Nak'azdli Band, but here representing herself, not the band)
Chad Lantz (Managing Partner with Nak'azdli)
Cora McIntosh (Saik’uz First Nation)
Renee Raphael (Saik’uz First Nation)
Tribal Chief Terry Teegee (Carrier Sekani Tribal Council)
Leonard Thomas (Economic Development Officer, Nak'azdli Band)
Government departments
Frank Austin (BC Oil & Gas Commission)
Juanita Berkhout (Intergovernmental & Community Relations)
Cathy Chalupa (MPMO)
Mike Henderson (MPMO)
Terry Hubbard (Natural Resources Canada)
Graham Knox (Ministry of Environment)
Brenda Metropolit (Service Canada)
David Murray (MPMO)
Alison Olney (Service Canada)
Dale Vole (Ministry of Environment)
Sean Waters (MPMO)
Jason Wilson (BC Oil & Gas Commission)
Other organizations
Karin Hunt (PGNAETA)
Event support and facilitation
Rob McPhee (Castlemain Group)
Andrea Zazzi (Castlemain Group)