VANCOUVER - Canada has clear guidelines on what happens if an oil tanker springs a leak in its waters, but experts agree all the best protocol in the world can't factor in human error.
If such an accident occurs, the first responders would be those on the tug boats escorting the tanker.
The company that owns the tanker would be responsible for immediately notifying the Canadian Coast Guard or the province's emergency line.
Then, a federally-certified spill response group would handle the crisis, with the coast guard overseeing the cleanup, which is supposed to be contained by law within 10 days.
Edward Owens is a geologist and consultant with Enbridge and says the plan to manage any spill connected to the Northern Gateway pipeline will be state-of-the-art.
But he acknowledged that adverse weather conditions, miscommunication and poor management can delay a spill response.
And former federal Fisheries Minister David Anderson says given Enbridge's record in cleaning up other spills, it shouldn't be trusted to get a spill in B.C. waters right.
For its part, an Enbridge spokesman defends the company's safety record, saying it invested about $400 million last year alone in the safety of its vast pipeline and doubled the number of staff dedicated to leak detection over the past two years.
