As part of our ongoing commitment to safety and emergency preparedness, Kinder Morgan Canada (KMC) conducted an emergency response training and equipment deployment exercise on September 20 and 21, 2016 on the Sumas River in Abbotsford, BC.

The training session covered land-based instruction on spill response equipment setup and deployment, followed by an on-water deployment of emergency response equipment on the Sumas River. The session involved the use of KMC-owned equipment and personnel, including 100-500 feet of containment boom, skimmers, boom vane, several response boats and an environmental protection unit.  

Approximately 30 personnel, including KMC employees, contractors, local first responders and Aboriginal representatives participated in the exercise, which was designed to train personnel on response techniques in a river environment at medium flow, as well as boom deployment, anchor setting, and the setup and test of oil recovery equipment.

“Exercises like these demonstrate Kinder Morgan Canada’s industry-leading practices for incident prevention, response and recovery.  As part of our ongoing operations, we use these exercises to train and practice together with agencies and first responders that would be involved in an incident to ensure we keep the communities we operate in prepared,” Jamie Kereliuk, Director of Emergency Management for Kinder Morgan Canada.

KMC is required by its regulators to have an Emergency Management Program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates conditions during the unlikely event of an emergency. Regular training and exercises are integral to KMC’s safety and emergency preparedness program to ensure a quick and efficient response.  Each year, KMC conducts approximately 20 emergency management training sessions, which include equipment deployments, table-top and communication exercises.