No. H009/04 For release March 22, 2004 TORONTO - Today in Toronto, Transport Canada is holding the first of several public consultation sessions to review legislation governing the transport of dangerous goods. The session is being chaired by the Honourable Jim Karygiannis, P.C., M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport. The consultations are being held as part of the government's commitment to review the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992 after it had been in place for 10 years. The review began in 2002 and focused on security issues in response to the events of September 11, 2001, but has now been extended to cover all aspects of the Act. Transport Canada is conducting the review in cooperation with industry, and provincial and territorial governments. The provinces and territories work in concert with Transport Canada to enforce transportation of dangerous goods requirements on the highway. Transport Canada conducts enforcement in other modes of transport and leads in the development of dangerous goods regulations in the transportation sector. "When it comes to transporting dangerous goods, public safety is the Government of Canada's number one priority and this Act is a key element in helping to ensure that safety," said Mr. Karygiannis. "Consultations are being held to involve our partners and to get their views on how we can improve the Act and, in turn, further enhance public safety." The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act,1992 was designed to protect public safety when dangerous goods are transported. It focuses on prevention and empowers dangerous goods inspectors to take immediate steps during an incident to preserve public safety. The Act also includes provisions for monetary penalties of up to $1 million and imprisonment for contraventions of the Act. There are approximately 30,000,000 shipments of dangerous goods in Canada each year and over 99 per cent of them occur without incident. Today's public consultation is being held at the Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Drive, Toronto, Ontario. Public discussions are expected to continue until October 2004, at which point Transport Canada will consider possible modifications to the Act. More information is available on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992 and the review. Contact: Christina Van Loon Office of the Minister, Ottawa (613) 991-0700 Cathy Cossaboom Transport Canada Communications, Ottawa (613) 993-0055 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
