2010 Winter Games-Information on Transportation of Dangerous Goods

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Transportation of Dangerous Goods

There are approximately 30 million dangerous goods that are shipped each year by rail, road, marine and air in Canada. All nine classes of dangerous goods are shipped safely in Canada (explosives, gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing substances and organic peroxides, toxic and infectious substances, radioactive materials, corrosives and miscellaneous products, substances or organisms). For more information on dangerous goods transported in Canada, please visit http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/backgrounders/b04-mm002e.htm

During the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, there will be controls on the transportation of dangerous goods by road, rail and marine in the areas surrounding the competition and non-competition venues.

Representatives from the following agencies have formed the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit Surface (Rail and Transportation of Dangerous Goods) Technical Working Group, which is responsible for transportation of dangerous goods plans for the 2010 Winter Games period

• The V2010 Integrated Security Unit led by the RCMP
• Integrated Public Safety — emergency management and non-law enforcement emergency services
• Transport Canada
• Canada Border Services Agency
• Port Metro Vancouver
• The Vancouver Police Department
• Natural Resources Canada.

To minimize any potential dangerous goods-related incidents that may disrupt the flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic or could create a safety threat to the athletes, officials, residents, visitors and security personnel in and around the designated areas, planners have decided to limit the transportation of dangerous goods at specific times in designated areas. This includes marine, rail and road transportation.

The planners have consulted with affected businesses including shipping companies, container terminals, rail companies, chemical distributors, explosives handlers and trucking companies.

The designated areas include the Sea to Sky Highway, the Vancouver downtown core, and a perimeter of approximately 500 metres around each of the other venues in Vancouver, West Vancouver and Richmond.

Designated areas and restrictions

The measures will be in effect from approximately January 26, 2010, to March 4, 2010. The designated areas and restrictions are outlined below. 

Existing municipal designated truck routes must be respected.

Perimeter travel

Transportation of dangerous goods by road and rail will be allowed 24 hours per day on the perimeter road boundaries for the downtown core controlled zone and other individual Olympic venue dangerous goods control zones. This includes access to Centerm and Vanterm by road and rail.

Vancouver Downtown Core area - Click to view map 

The boundaries are Broadway to the south, Burrard Street to the west, Clark/Knight Street to the east and Burrard Inlet on the water side of the downtown peninsula — including the Vanterm and Centerm Intermodal terminals (Map for Port access by road using Clark Drive). 

• a) Restrict the movement of all road vehicles carrying dangerous goods and bearing the required safety marks into, within and through this zone to the hours of 00:01 (midnight) to 06:00.
• b) Exclude all dangerous goods transportation by road and rail in a quantity or concentration that requires an Emergency Response Assistance Plan from this core area 24 hours per day.
• c) Exclude all dangerous goods included in Class 1 Explosives in hazard divisions 1.1, 1.2 and 1.5, and Class 7 Radioactive Materials from this core area 24 hours per day by road and rail.

The Sea to Sky Highway (from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton) Click to view map

a) Restrict the movement of all road vehicles carrying dangerous goods and bearing the required safety marks along this corridor to the hours of 00:01 (midnight) to 06:00 hours.
b) Restrict the transportation of dangerous goods in a quantity or concentration that requires an Emergency Response Assistance Plan to 00:01 (midnight) to 06:00 hours.

All other individual Olympic venues

• a) Restrict the movement of all road vehicles carrying dangerous goods and bearing the required safety marks into or within 500 metres of venue perimeters identified by the ISU Dangerous Goods street grids to the hours of 00:01 (midnight) to 06:00.
• b) Restrict the transportation of dangerous goods in a quantity or concentration that requires an Emergency Response Assistance Plan into and within 500 metres of venue perimeters identified by the ISU Dangerous Goods street grids to the hours of 00:01 (midnight) to 06:00 hours.

Click link to view map:

• The Richmond Oval
• Hillcrest
• University of British Columbia
• Cypress Bowl Road 
• Kilarney
• Pacific Coliseum
• Trout Lake
• Britannia
• Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
• RCMP Head Quarters - Integrated Security Unit (ISU) 

Business critical situations

Requests for business critical deliveries of dangerous goods within the restricted time of day, or deliveries in a quantity or concentration that requires an Emergency Response Assistance Plan will be considered on an individual basis by the V2010 ISU and Transport Canada.

"Business critical" is defined as a circumstance where a person, partnership or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing or service is faced with a dangerous goods issue of essential importance with respect to the continued functioning of the business. For example, liquid oxygen deliveries to a health care facility that has run out or is running out, and the product is necessary to continue functioning; OR a situation that is extremely time-sensitive. Note: Business critical must be an operational emergency, not a situation of inconvenience.

Do these restrictions apply to you?

Question 1: Does the vehicle or container require a placard?
Answer 1: If yes, the time-of-day restrictions apply.

Question 2: Does the transportation of the dangerous goods require an Emergency Response Assistance Plan?
Answer 2 : If yes, access to the downtown core is restricted 24 hours a day.

Question 3 : Is the delivery of dangerous goods being made within the downtown core, near an Olympic venue or via the Sea to Sky Highway?
Answer 3 : If yes, the time-of-day restrictions apply. Transportation of dangerous goods is allowed between 00:01 (midnight) and 06:00.

More details available at the Interim Order Respecting the Transportation of Dangerous Goods into, through or within Controlled Access Zones

For more information, contact the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit Surface (Rail and Transportation of Dangerous Goods) Technical Working Group via email at V2010isu_inquiries@rcmp_grc.gc.ca