4.

FOCUS

a) The Spatial Focus of the process should be the Greater
Vancouver-Lower Mainland area where the several railways
converge and where most of the destinations or transshipment
points are located. However, alternate routing via Prince
Rupert and/or the United States which entirely avoid this ,
area should also be examined.

The Modal Focus should be railway movements of dangerous
goods but the rail-to-ship and rail-to-road interfaces should
also be examined. The study should ensure that traffic moves
by the safest mode and that significant diversions from rail
to road do not occur because of the plan.

Timeframe The objective shouid be to have a workable plan
for bringing increased safety in dangerous ‘goods rail
movements in place in five years. The plan should be
reviewed every five years and updated.

-

MECHANISM .

The Mayors have looked at a number of possible mechanisms for
making decisions in regard to dangerous goods movements by rail
including the current process based on the Eisler Report and the
subsequent hearings, decisions and orders by the CTC/RTC.

We favour a joint planning process involving the lead agencies,
the railways, the shippers, the producers, the ports and the
municipalities. We have examined several other options and the
'pros' and 'cons' of each. For the joint planning process to be
successful, there must be: (a) a good measure of trust between the
participants, (b) a desire to work together to produce a better
situation than if each were to go its own way, and- (c) the
commitment of each participant to produce ideas, contribute
options and work towards obtaining the best solutions. However,
if agreement cannot be secured, or if the process fails, there
must be a fallback mechanism to get the job done and that could
well involve the imposition of a solution by senior governments.

Qu.
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