rail industry redoubles community dangerous goods safety outreach

THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA’S CHEMISTRY INDUSTRY WINTER 2013-14 | www.canadianchemistry.ca

Catalyst

Finding Solutions to theDriver Shortage

Find out what one CIAC partneris doing to address the problem

+Safe Transport:

Rail industry redoubles community dangerous goods safety outreach

Overcoming Panic and Fear: Crisis communications

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Catalyst WINTER 201314 • 5

VOLUME 10, NUMBER 3, WINTER 2013-14

COLUMNS

7 Edifi cationsCompeting for Growth and InvestmentRecent meetings between CIAC and the federal government show why it is so important for government offi cials to continue to understand and support Canada’s vital chemistry industry. BY PIERRE GAUTHIER

9 Responsible Care®/Critical Perspectives CIAC’s National Advisory Panel Visits Fort SaskatchewanWith more than 40 chemistry companies in the area and more on the way, this industrial heartland is balancing development with sustainability. BY BOB MASTERSON

FEATURES

10 CIAC Events – Fall 2013 Photos from CIAC’s Fall events.

12 Finding Solutions to the Driver Shortage With fewer skilled drivers readily available, Trimac Transportation looks to the systematic underpinnings behind the shortage to fi nd solutions. BY MARCO BEGHETTO

15 Safe Transport: Rail Industry Redoubles Community Dangerous Goods Safety OutreachIn the wake of the tragedy in Lac-Mégantic, Que., Canada’s rail industry redoubles its community outreach eff orts around the safe transportation of dangerous goods.BY ALEX PATERSON

17 Overcoming Panic and Fear: Crisis CommunicationsA crisis can occur at any time, so knowing how to react to the situation can be the diff erence between a full-blown media frenzy or a calm, collected response. BY BARRY McLOUGHLIN

SOLUTIONS

18 Next-Generation Lithium Batteries Key to Electric Vehicle ViabilityDemand for a lightweight, low-cost, rechargeable and energy-dense battery spurs research to test new lithium and other battery chemistries. BY SARAH MAYES

BUYERS’ GUIDE

17 Buyers’ Guide and Index to Advertisers

Chemistry Industry Association of CanadaPresident & CEORichard PatonVice-President, Public AffairsPierre GauthierCatalyst Editor &CIAC Communications ManagerNancy MarchiAssociation OfficeChemistry Industry Association of Canada805-350 Sparks StreetOttawa, ON K1R 7S8Tel.: (613) 237-6215Fax: (613) 237-4061www.canadianchemistry.caNAYLORPublisherRobert PhillipsEditorRachael RyalsProject Manager Alana PlaceSales ManagerBill McDougallBook LeaderWayne JurySales Representative David S. EvansResearchKatie DoerksenSales Administrator Jennifer LemayLayout & DesignCloudberryCo.

Editorial Office

Naylor (Canada), Inc.1630 Ness Avenue, Suite 300Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 3X1www.naylor.comCatalyst is published three times per year by Naylor (Canada), Inc. for the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada. Responsible Care®, an initiative of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, is an ethic for the safe and environmentally sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle. Invented in Canada, Responsible Care is now practised in more than 60 countries. Copyright by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada. All rights reserved. The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or the association. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior consent of the association.PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2013/CDCT0313/9174

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40064978Postage Paid at Winnipeg

ContentsTHE MAGAZINE OF CANADA’S CHEMISTRY INDUSTRY WINTER 2013-14 | www.canadianchemistry.ca

Catalyst

Finding Solutions to theDriver Shortage

Find out what one CIAC partneris doing to address the problem

+Safe Transport:

Rail industry redoubles community dangerous goods safety outreach

Overcoming Panic and Fear: Crisis communications

Canada’s transportation industry is facing a driver shortage – find out what one CIAC partner is doing to address it.

Visit the digital edition of Catalyst for interactive features.

www.nxtbook.com/naylor/CDCT/CDCT0313/index.php

THE MAGAZINE OF CANADA’S CHEMISTRY INDUSTRYWINTER 2013-14 | www.canadianchemistry.ca

Catalyst

Finding Solutions to the

Driver Shortage

Find out what one CIAC partner

is doing to address the problem

+Safe Transport:

Rail industry redoubles

community dangerous

goods safety outreach

Overcoming Panic and Fear:

Crisis communications

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Edifications

By Pierre Gauthier

COMPETING FOR GROWTH AND INVESTMENT

EACH YEAR IN October, the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) hosts its Annual General Meeting and Chemistry Day in Ottawa. These events provide opportunities for us to meet with par-liamentarians and government officials and to continue raising awareness about the industry’s current and future contributions to Canada’s economic prosperity. Once again, we underscored the need for government to work with industry to ensure that we are driving towards the same strategic goal: to develop a globally competitive busi-ness environment and secure new investment in Canada.

The chemistry industry can play a critical role in Canada’s eco-nomic success, but it needs the right kind of policy to support and maximize its investment potential. To provide the right policy environment, government needs to hear from us. The recent meet-ings were critical in hammering out the key advocacy priorities neces-sary to help us send the right messages to government.

The government has listened and moved forward with import-ant policy decisions, helping to position Canada as a globally com-petitive destination for investment. The government has reduced the corporate tax rate, extended the accelerated capital cost allow-ance (ACCA) to 2015, adopted a common sense approach to climate change regulations, employed an aggressive global trade strategy, and approved new rail legislation. In the year ahead, CIAC will con-tinue to focus its advocacy efforts on priorities that will help sharpen Canada’s competitive edge and make it the preferred destination for sustainable investments.

Fiscal CompetitivenessCanada benefits from a competitive corporate tax rate, as the

current combination of federal and provincial rates (except in Quebec) allows the industry to generate solid returns on existing investments. We will urge government to maintain those rates and to extend the accelerated capital cost allowance (ACCA), due to expire on January 1, 2015. In the United States, the chemistry industry benefits from depreciation allowances that allow for more significant and faster write-offs. We must develop new and innov-ative fiscal instruments to remain globally competitive, especially with the United States.

Transportation Safety Two-thirds of the chemical products manufactured in Canada

are shipped by rail. The safe transportation of chemical products is of paramount importance to CIAC and its member-companies. The recent tragedy in Lac-Mégantic, Que., has underlined the import-ance of working with governments and Canada’s railways to ensure the security of communities. CIAC is committed to working with the

federal government to ensure that Canada has the strongest trans-portation safety standards in the world.

Resource Upgrading Value-added products in the form of fuels and chemicals from

Canada’s oil sands, natural gas and natural gas liquids are promis-ing opportunities. However, shipping our energy resources outside Canada for processing could limit the chemistry industry’s poten-tial to add value to our energy resources in the most sustainable way, to create jobs and products that improve everyday life. CIAC will emphasize the importance of adding value to Canadian nat-ural resources here in Canada – rather than simply exporting those resources – so our country may benefit from the rewards in terms of jobs and economic prosperity.

Climate Change and Air QualityThe federal government is planning to regulate major emit-

ting sectors for climate change and air quality. As the government develops these regulations, we must strive to ensure that Canada maintains its competitiveness with the United States, and finds ways to avoid duplication of federal and provincial regulations. CIAC will encourage the federal government to keep Canada’s world-leading Chemicals Management Plan well-funded, while continuing to build public confidence that chemicals are being safely managed in Canada.

Responsible CareCIAC will continue to promote awareness of Responsible and its

initiatives (TransCAER, TEAP III), and its members’ and partners’ commitment to sustainability. Through Responsible Care® CIAC’s member-companies are global leaders in environmental performance and transportation safety. We believe that Responsible Care serves as a valuable model, and the adoption of a similar approach by other sectors could assist Canada in branding itself as a world leader in sustainable resource development and value-added manufacturing.

These are the key priorities that CIAC will be focusing on. CIAC and its member-companies have, in recent years, achieved tangible results in working with the government towards positioning Canada as the preferred destination for investment. By continuing to work together and by focusing on the right policies, we are confident that we can compete in an increasingly competitive global marketplace and secure billions in investments that will benefit Canada and Canadians for generations. A

Pierre Gauthier is Vice-President, Public Affairs, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.

8 • Catalyst WINTER 201314660476_Conn.indd 1 9/26/13 2:05 PM

In Memoriam

REMEMBERING MARTY BYRON By Nancy Marchi

ON AUG. 31, 2013, Marty Byron, Director, Responsible Care® & Sustainability, CCC Chemicals passed away. Marty had worked in the industry for more than 30 years and his unexpected passing left colleagues across the country reeling in shock.

It’s fitting that we salute Marty in this transportation-focused issue; he was our go-to guy on TransCAER®, the industry’s transportation safety initiative. Marty, or Mr. TransCAER as he was known, worked tirelessly to educate emergency responders and the public about transportation safety. He managed CIAC’s Safety Training Tank Car CCPX911 – a general purpose rail-way tank car converted into a classroom on wheels – making it a premier tool for first responder training and commun-ity outreach. He will be remembered for his willingness to help anyone, anytime; and for his incredibly wonderful sense of humour. I once asked Marty for a head and shoulders photo to run with an article he’d written for Catalyst (Fall 2011): he sent me the pseudo mug shot of himself pictured here, holding a sign that read “Convict # CIAC911” — a reference to that same CIAC training tank car that he’d man-aged. At the time, Marty and I decided it was probably best not to print the photo, not everyone would see the humour in it. But this time I’m running it, and I don’t think he’d mind.

At the association’s Annual Awards Dinner in Ottawa on Oct. 23, 2013, Marty was posthumously awarded CIAC’s Chairman’s Award (see page 11). The award was accepted on behalf of Marty’s family by Dave Emerson, President, CCC, and we were honoured that Marty’s wife Shirley and her sister Susan were able to join us for the ceremony.

As the inscription on Marty’s award read “he was a heck of leader.” He will be sorely missed throughout the industry. A

Nancy Marchi is the Communications Manager for the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.

Among many other things, Marty Byron (pictured left in a pseudo mug shot) will be remembered for his great sense of humour.

Responsible Care®/Critical Perspectives

CIAC’S NATIONAL ADVISORY PANEL VISITS FORT SASKATCHEWAN

By Bob Masterson

IN OCTOBER 2013, Dow Canada hosted CIAC’s National Advisory Panel (NAP) as part of an intensive three-day visit to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. I had the pleasure of participating in that visit, and of seeing first-hand how the region is balancing develop-ment with sustainability concerns.

Fort Saskatchewan is one of four municipalities making up Alberta’s Industrial Heartland and is Canada’s largest centre for petrochemical manufacturing and related services. More than 40 chemistry companies operate in Fort Saskatchewan – several of which are CIAC Responsible Care members. The region’s industry is also expected to grow, with $21 billion in new pro-ject spending already announced for the Industrial Heartland.

The NAP was particularly interested in learning how Fort Saskatchewan and surrounding communities are coping with the scale of current and planned industrial development, and what role Responsible Care companies play in supporting com-munities with the challenges that they face.

The NAP heard presentations and engaged in discussions with several groups, including Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association – an umbrella group through which five munici-palities, including Fort Saskatchewan, coordinate their plan-ning and infrastructure development in a sustainable fashion; Fort Air Partnership – an independent organization fueled by industry and local governments, which conducts ambient air monitoring and provides data and alerts to Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development; Northeast Region Community Awareness and Emergency Response (NRCAER) – a mutual-aid ER organization which trains and plans for emer-gencies, and seeks to inform local citizens of the hazards in their community and how they can prepare for and respond to poten-tial emergencies; Northeast Capital Industrial Association – a cooperative representing the interests of industries with assets over $25 billion and employing more than 6,000 people in the region; and citizens who participate on Community Advisory Panels for Dow Canada and Agrium – two of the largest oper-ators in the region.

The NAP left Fort Saskatchewan highly impressed by the degree of cooperation among industry, governments and cit-izens, and the willingness to identify and address the challen-ges associated with the region’s industrial development and planned growth. Several NAP members noted they had iden-tified best practices that they planned to take back to their own communities.

As examples of best practices: Fort Saskatchewan Mayor Gale Katcher identified proactive steps this community is taking in land use planning and community relations. Brenda Gheran, Executive Director at NRCAER, which represents eight muni-cipalities and 31 industries, said information is provided to the public through a call-in line, message boards and social media. Shawna Bruce, Public Affairs Manager at Dow Chemical Canada, presented four case studies of a company using social media with positive results. Lessons learned included the need to use all media – radio and newspapers, not only social media. Stephen Velthuizen, Communications Advisor for Shell’s Scotford plant, presented the company’s scorecard approach to community surveys, results of which were published and made available to the community.

The community notification system operated by NRCAER is a good example of best practices. NRCAER is activated when mutual aid is requested. Coordinated through Strathcona County 911 dis-patch, members are contacted to dispatch available resources. Using a unified command structure, equipment and personnel are seam-lessly brought into the response. Nearly all the companies in the region are actively involved in mutual aid and preparation for inci-dents. The very collaborative approach to regional planning that is taking place between the municipalities is a good best practice... just the way the local municipalities have organized themselves and the formal mechanism in place for industry and the muni-cipalities to carry out the planning activities. They’re very clear on what they want and where they want it. And, as some of the older farmers in the area are retiring, a Land Trust Society buys up their properties so that residential developments are kept well away from industrial areas.

Within the companies, NAP members identified a number of good practices, including Dow’s approach to transportation safety management; MEGlobal’s work on developing an over-arching sustainability initiative; Shell Scotford’s survey of local citizens and their expectations for the site and its activities; and Chemtrade’s efforts to conduct a joint verification exercise to meet the Responsible Care requirements of CIAC and the American Chemistry Council.

The NAP gathering in Fort Saskatchewan was a most pro-ductive meeting and those who attended were very pleased by the results. A

Bob Masterson is Vice-President, Responsible Care for the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.


10 • Catalyst WINTER 201314

Feature

CIAC Board of Directors & Hon. Lisa Raitt

CIAC’s Board of Directors met with the Hon. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, Oct. 23, 2013. L to R: Richard Paton, CIAC President; Harold Albrecht, MP, Kitchener–Conestoga; Hon. Lisa Raitt; LaVar Payne, MP, Medicine Hat; and Mike Oxley, President and CFO, DuPont Canada.

The Hon. Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development, delivered the keynote address at CIAC’s AGM luncheon on Oct. 24, 2013. L to R: Richard Paton, CIAC; Hon. Jason Kenney; and CIAC Chairman Grant Thomson, President, Olefin & Feedstock, NOVA Chemicals.

Briefing on Parliament Hill for NDP Caucus Members

CIAC board members hosted a briefing on Parliament Hill for NDP Caucus members, Oct. 23, 2013. L to R: Brian Masse, MP, Windsor West; Carles Navarro, President, BASF Canada; Pierre Ducharme, Canadian Regional Operations Manager, Olin Canada ULC.

L to R: Jasbir Sandhu, MP, Surrey North; Larry Masaro, Director, Plant Operations, National Silicates; Ève Péclet, MP, La Point-de-l’Île; Chris Charlton, MP, Hamilton Mountain; and Peter Julian, MP, Burnaby–New Westminster.

CIAC’s Annual Reception in Ottawa

CIAC’s Annual Reception for Parliamentarians, Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel, Ottawa, Oct. 23, 2013. L to R: Jay Aspin, MP, Nipissing–Timiskaming; Randy Hoback, MP, Prince Albert; and Kevin Henderson, VP, Global Manufacturing, Methanex Corporation.

CIAC’s John Margeson (L) and Norm Huebel (R) with Cheryl Gallant, MP, Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke.

CIAC Events – Fall 2013CIAC’s Annual General Meeting Luncheon

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CIAC Congratulates Its 2013 Awards RecipientsCIAC’s Merit and Chairman’s Awards recognizes groups or indi-viduals who have devoted substantial time and expertise to the work of the association. Congratulations to all of our award win-ners, including Ian Parkin of Dow Chemical who was unable to accept his award in person.

CIAC Quebec Regional Manager Jules Lauzon presents the Merit Award to Gabriel Dionne, KRONOS Canada (retired). This is the second Merit Award given to Gabriel; he received his first award in 2004.

Daniel Léger, Axiall Canada, was presented with a Merit Award on Nov. 5, 2013 by Jules Lauzon.

CIAC President Richard Paton presents Ken Tsang, Dow Chemical (retired) with the Merit Award at the association’s Annual Awards Dinner in Ottawa on Oct. 23, 2013.

Chairman’s Award

Outstanding Leadership Award

Since its inception in 2000, only four people have been honoured with CIAC’s Outstanding Leadership Award. At CIAC’s Annual Awards Dinner on Oct. 23, 2013, the association’s past Board chairman, Mike Oxley, DuPont Canada, presented the award to Paul Timmons, President of ERCO Worldwide. Paul has been involved with CIAC for more than 20 years, has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for more than 15 years, and continues to play an active leadership role in the association. L to R: Mike Oxley and Paul Timmons.

Marty Byron, CCC Chemicals, was posthumously awarded the Chairman’s Award at CIAC’s Annual Awards Dinner by past Board chairman, Mike Oxley. Dave Emerson, President of CCC, accepted the award on behalf of Marty’s family. (See the tribute to Marty on page 8). L to R: CIAC’s past Board chairman, Mike Oxley, DuPont Canada; Dave Emerson and Marty’s wife, Shirley Byron.


FINDING FINDING SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS TO THETO THE

DRIVER SHORTAGEDRIVER SHORTAGE

THE DRIVER SHORTAGE is real, it’s already here, and – despite certain opinions that razor-tight capacity is good for the long-term prospects of trucking – a capacity crunch costs carriers and will rein in their ability to grow on what could be the cusp of improving economic conditions, says the president of one of Canada’s largest truck-ing companies.

“It’s a problem, definitely,” says Ed Malysa, president of Calgary-based bulk hauling giant Trimac Transportation, and a principal player behind the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) on the Driver Shortage1. “Despite competitive compensation, we are not able to hire the qualified drivers we need for our business.”

And while the degree of the shortage varies by sector, Malysa doesn’t buy that the problem is significantly more acute in the West. “I hear people saying things are okay in central Canada, but I can’t find the amount of qualified drivers I need in Quebec either. This shortage is across the board and what I’m seeing is that we are no longer able to get the same drivers we were able to get a few years ago. The workforce is shrinking and the quality of the drivers isn’t as good as it was.”

By Marco Beghetto

So, where to point the finger? Malysa doesn’t. Instead of just talking about the BRTF as if it were a philosophical stencil, he took one of its pillar themes – that carriers should first look internally to fix problems within their control – and put it to work across his operations.

While the BRTF highlights the systemic underpinnings behind the shortage – such as driver demographics, low-training qualifica-tions and public perceptions of the job – it is unique in the sense that it doesn’t shy away from more contentious issues such as driver compensation, lifestyle and treatment within the industry. Although there’s plenty of work still to be done, Malysa says Trimac is openly addressing many of these issues head-on.

Show Me the MoneyOn top of competitive pay packages,

Trimac has adopted in its operations several of the BRTF report’s “core values” dealing with compensation. According to Malysa: “Truck drivers should have an improved abil-ity to predict what their weekly pay is going to be. Compensation packages need to be more transparent. Truck drivers should be paid for all the work they do and earn enough to cover all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while on the road.

“There’s a lot of unpaid time that driv-ers incur because of delays, loading and unloading, and so forth. Our goal was to create transparency and simplification of pay programs so people can clearly see how they are being paid for what they do... and not some secretive process that wraps up productivity in the rate itself, so if there are delays or costs caused outside of the drivers’ own doing, they won’t have to absorb it.”

Life HappensThere’s no argument that overall pay

must increase in long-haul truckload in order to sustain the industry. But while driver dissatisfaction commonly mani-fests more openly through pay issues, the underlying problems are often rooted in how drivers are treated and forced to deal with the irregular nature of trucking life-style and operations.

“If you raise the level of pay by itself, it will not promote drivers to come into our industry,” Malysa says. “That’s the biggest fallacy that many people believe. They think that if there are no drivers, the rates will go up and everyone will flood back to this job. I don’t think so. There are plenty of good-paying jobs out there, but if the fundamen-tal issues of the job itself are not attractive, then you could throw money at it all you want... but they’re not coming. The point is there are a lot of things in our drivers’ lives that can be changed first.”

Part of the challenge is changing the industry culture to reflect the reservations of a new generation of drivers who have lim-ited tolerance for the time-worn system and aging veterans who physically are not able to sustain it any longer. “Some of it,” explains Malysa, “is because the level of compensa-tion doesn’t provide for the level of income they want, so they have to be out on the road more, but a larger part is that there aren’t enough drivers to allow flexibility and get guys home more.”

Respect is Key “Truck drivers are our most import-

ant asset, the face of the industry – to our customers and to the public – and they are deserving of respect,” declare the authors of the BRTF report. If carriers don’t respect their own drivers, how can they expect their customers to? Trimac trains all levels of staff on driver relations, from fleet managers and dispatchers to shop technicians. “There are so many areas that touch the drivers and

Feature

FIND OUT WHAT ONE CIAC PARTNER FIND OUT WHAT ONE CIAC PARTNER

IS DOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMIS DOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM


Ed Malysa, president and chief operating officer of Trimac Transportation

that’s what makes them so critical to our organization,” Malysa says. “So, we’ve thrown down the gauntlet and act-ively engaged our drivers and manage-ment team to address the issue from a com-munications stand-point so we’re not all

just sitting back knowing where the issues are but no one wants to talk about it.”

There’s no denying, however, that most productive work hours are spent (and poten-tially wasted) away from the fleet terminal. How drivers are treated by their company’s customers and consignees affects them just as much. It is in this area where shippers must have a role – arguably, for their own good too. Malysa has sent copies of the BRTF report and the recent Conference Board of Canada study2 on the driver shortage to his customer base and is in the process of engaging them about their thoughts on reducing downtime. As he points out, enlisting shippers to add their voices would help get the attention of more government policymakers.

Underpinnings of the Driver ShortageThe root causes or underpinnings of the driver

shortage can basically be categorized as follows:

Driver demographics

Driver compensation

Driver quality of life

Driver qualifications

Core Values A minimum standard of entry level,

apprenticeship or apprenticeship-

like truck driver training should be

mandatory.

Truck driving should be considered a

skilled trade and be recognized as such

by the various levels and branches of

government, standards councils, etc.,

who certify such things.

There should be a program of manda-

tory ongoing training and/or recertifi-

cation (e.g., TDG Act, pre-trip inspection,

load securement, hours of service, etc.)

throughout a driver’s career.

The information above comes from the Canadian

Trucking Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on the

Driver Shortage. Read the report in its entirely

at http://bit.ly/17Nz1gh

As a company that promotes safety and demonstrates best practices in its operations, Trimac is proud to have become a Responsible Care® partner in 2013.

www.trimac.com

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Show, Don’t Just Tell While it’s up to trucking to hold a mirror up

to itself, the industry can’t do all the fixing alone. One way to get politicians to take an interest in the proposed solutions – such as a minimum standard of entry level, apprenticeship-like truck driver training and skilled certification – is to literally show them the industry. “They just don’t understand what it takes to sit behind a class 8 truck with a 140,000-pound load on the high-way in heavy traffic – and do it for 70 hours a week,” says Malysa, who offers local politicians rides so they can experience trucking first-hand. “It’s an eye-opener. If more companies gave our provincial and federal politicians an opportun-ity to see what we really do and see the experi-ences of our drivers, that would definitely be helpful to the industry.” A

Marco Beghetto is Vice President of Com-munications & New Media, Ontario Truck-ing Association/Canadian Trucking Alliance, www.cantruck.ca

1 The Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Driver Shortage, published by the Canadian Trucking Alliance, Spring 2012 http://bit.ly/17Nz1gh

2 Understanding the Truck Driver Supply and Demand Gap and Its Implications for the Canadian Economy, published by the Conference Board of Canada, Feb. 2013


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WITHIN HOURS OF July’s tragic derail-ment in Lac-Mégantic, QC, members from the Railway Association of Canada (RAC) Dangerous Goods (DG) team were on site to assist emergency per-sonnel, first-responder crews and civil authorities. For 14 days, they were part of the incident command structure, providing expertise and informing the

industry of developments.When rail accidents occur, the industry’s first concerns are com-

munity and employee safety, environmental mitigation and remedi-ation, and rail’s response in Lac-Mégantic was no different.

The derailment resonated far beyond the rural Quebec town, impacting the entire rail community and making the transporta-tion of dangerous goods (TDG) a hot-button national topic. While the rail sector waits for details from the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) about the events leading up to the accident, it is redoubling its efforts to ensure this type of atypical event never happens again.

For example, railways are working with municipalities and gov-ernments to develop an information-sharing framework that helps local emergency response preparedness align with its actual rail-way DG types and volumes.

“We conduct outreach programs in communities to ensure first responders are aware of the dangers of entering railway property and understanding how the railways operate,” says Andy Ash, the RAC’s director of dangerous goods, who was on site in Lac-Mégantic following the derailment.

Through avenues like CIAC’s Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response (TransCAER®) program, the RAC and member railways work closely with emergency personnel to help communities understand important issues related to the transportation of dangerous goods, including regulatory compliance. A classroom-type tank car is often used as a tool for training and sometimes railways will organize mock exercises for local respond-ers to practice their skills. The combination of classroom instruc-tion and hands-on field training aims to make sure responders are well-prepared to act in the rare case of a dangerous goods accident.

Ash and the RAC’s DG team delivered 79 sessions to 1,133 par-ticipants in 2012 and nearly doubled those totals in 2013. Since 2000, they’ve conducted an average of 70 TransCAER sessions per year.

Feature

SAFE TRANSPORT Rail Industry Redoubles Community

Dangerous Goods Safety Outreach

By Alex Paterson

That’s in addition to the TransCAER events that railway compan-ies and chemical producers and shippers deliver.

“We convey the safety message to the first responder so that they know how to deal with dangerous goods incidents in a railway environ-ment and can do their job of protecting the general public,” Ash says.

Dangerous goods transportation is nothing new for the rail busi-ness, but the industry’s role in moving energy products to market has increased steadily since 2009 and it has adapted. Rail moves more than 99.9977 per cent of its dangerous goods to market without inci-dent, which is one of the reasons Canadian railways are trusted to move these types of goods and obligated by law to transport these commodities when they are able to do so.

Railways in Canada are subject to rigorous safety regulation under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and TDG regu-lations apply to the companies that are moving dangerous goods. Additionally, they follow Canadian, North American and inter-national standards, guidelines and best practices related to the trans-portation of dangerous goods.

Regulation has certainly played a role in maintaining rail’s safety record – one that has improved steadily throughout the last 10 years – but the industry goes beyond regulatory compliance with volun-tary efforts, says Michael Bourque, the RAC’s president and CEO.

“People from across the country have asked me about the dan-gerous goods travelling through their communities,” says Bourque. “It’s important to know that railways in Canada routinely share this information with municipal officials and responders to help develop effective and realistic emergency response plans.”

Bourque reiterates that railways in Canada and the United States have a strong safety record. To some degree, this success is the result of the government’s rules and standards prescribed for railway oper-ations. But in addition to these rules, which cover everything from track safety and freight cars to locomotive inspections and work/rest rules, Bourque credits an inherent safety culture that spans the entire rail sector.

“There are extensive and rigorous safety regulations that are imposed by government, but before the regulation, you will often hear railroaders say: ‘Safety is number one!’ It’s not a cliché. We say it and, we mean it.” A

Alex Paterson is Communications Specialist, Railway Association of Canada. www.railcan.ca


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• Toxic substances management services: - Emergency Response Activation Plans (ERAP) - Pollution Prevention Plans (P2) - Environment Emergency Plans (E2) - Toxic Substances Reduction Planner License # TSRP-0096 (TRA) • Supplier partner to the CACD • Proud supporter of You Be the Chemist

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Buyers’ Guide and Index to Advertisers

BEAKERSFortisBC ...............................................................16BLENDING BLADES & MIXING EQUIPMENTConn & Company, LLC ...........................................8CHEMICAL & SERVICE PROVIDERNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6CHEMICAL CONSULTANTHDTS Chemicals Inc. ...........................................16CHEMICAL PRODUCERBASF ...........................................Inside Front CoverImperial Oil Ltd, Chemicals .........Outside Back CoverMEGlobal International FZE ........ Inside Back CoverNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6CHEMICAL SAFETYLevitt-Safety Limited ...........................................14CHEMICALS - FORMULATING & PACKAGINGNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6CHLOR ALKALI CHEMICALSOlin Canada ULC ..................................................16

CUSTOM COMPOUNDS & CHEMICAL ADDITIVESNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6FIRST AID SAFETY & TRAININGLevitt-Safety Limited ...........................................14PLASTICSNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6PROCESS AIDS - PLASTICNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6PROCESS CONTROL EQUIPMENTNOVA Chemicals (Mktg Communications) ............6RAIL TRANSPORTATIONCN-Canadian National ...........................................3Procor Limited .....................................................14TRANSPORTATIONTrimac Transportation .........................................13TRUCKING FIRMSNorthwest Tank Lines ............................................4

A CRISIS CAN hit at any moment. And as the Lac Mégantic tragedy demonstrated, it can instantly trigger a nightmare – for the local community, and for the companies involved. What a company does in the first hours of such a major disaster will determine if its reputa-tion is intact when it’s all over.

First of all, how do we know if we have the makings of a crisis? If the potential of the incident could lead to damage to the cred-ibility of the company, then it’s a crisis of confidence.

Secondly, you have to decide who will lead the response. Should it be legal counsel? From our experience, while legal counsel is vitally important, ultimately, what’s at stake in a crisis is your company’s brand. Your promise to your customer, your relation-ship built on trust, can be eroded or shattered if the crisis is not well handled. Therefore, a C-suite executive – given full authority from the CEO – is often the best choice as the crisis leader. If it’s a significant event involving a number of agencies and companies, an Incident Command system is put in place, involving all the key players, thus ensuring a coherent response.

Thirdly, company executives are sometimes advised to “say lit-tle, limit liability, and keep your head down” when a crisis occurs. This often turns out to be a disaster. Instead of demonstrating accountability, such a strategy often backfires; making the com-pany look like it’s trying to duck its responsibilities.

Another point to keep in mind is the power of social media to influence the public’s perception of a crisis. More and more people – including the media – get their news content and share their opinions through Twitter,® Instagram,® YouTube,® Vines,® Facebook,® Google+ and other sites. Within minutes of the event, Twitter® hashtags are set up, sharing rumours, pictures and vit-riol. The media feeding frenzy is underway.

The 10 Principles of Crisis Communications So here are 10 principles that should guide you when a crisis occurs:Be proactive – be present and available to the media. By mov-ing quickly and accurately, you become a credible source for news and information throughout the crisis. Be prudent; avoid speculation, and speak to the known facts of the situation.Designate a single spokesperson. “Many brains; one mouth.” Not, “many mouths, one brain.” By focusing the media questions to one spokesperson, who is knowledgeable about the unfolding crisis, then you have a much better chance to maintain control of the narrative.Communicate early and often. The media abhor a vacuum, and if you don’t regularly brief them during the crisis, then they

Overcoming Panic and Fear:

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

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will rely on others for guidance on what’s going on. In a crisis, silence is not golden.Encourage the “ front door” approach to the media. Invite them in; provide a media centre; and provide regular news conferen-ces and media availabilities.Get ahead of the curve. Don’t just react to today’s story, antici-pate where the media are going with the story, and be prepared.If there is bad news to come – YOU announce it. This is a tough one for a company to face up to, but by you announcing your own bad news, you gain immediate credibility. If you wait until they discover it, you have already lost credibility.Get all the bad news out at once. Don’t add a wrinkle a day.Don’t “Break into jail” by inadvertent, inappropriate comments. (Think of the comment by former BP CEO Tony Hayward, who at the height of the Gulf oil spill said, “I just want my life back.”)Quit while you’re behind. Once the crisis has been resolved, don’t keep bringing it up, trying to persuade people that your company was unfairly treated. Move on.Mop up after the mess. Relationships can get tested, and flare-ups occur. Post-crisis, it’s essential to heal relationships and conduct a ‘lessons learned’ exercise.In summary, anticipate all possible incidents or issues that

could trigger a crisis. Develop your crisis communications plan – in which the key can be turned almost instantly 24/7. As the say-ing goes in the world of politics, “any plan beats no plan.” Move quickly. As we say to our clients facing a crisis, “Have a bad day. Deal fully and transparently with it. Otherwise, you’ll have a bad month – or a bad year!” A

Barry McLoughlin is President of McLoughlin Media. Barry’s book, Overcoming Panic and Fear: Risk and Crisis Communications is available at www.mcloughlinmedia.com. Follow Barry on Twitter @mclomedia

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By Barry McLoughlin


Solutions

ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS have grappled with the same problem for decades: how to make a lightweight, low-cost, recharge-able and energy-dense battery that can power a vehicle over long distances. Lithium-ion batteries hold a lot of promise; they’re found in most electronics – from laptops to smartphones – and in many of the electric vehicles on the roads today. But these batteries have some serious limitations; they’re expensive to manufacture (often accounting for more than half of an electric vehicle’s cost), and typically don’t last for more than 150 kilometres before needing to be recharged. Because of that, chemists are experimenting with new materials, in the hopes of producing a lower-cost, longer-range lithium battery for automotive applications.

Lithium-Battery Chemistry 101Simply put, batteries use chemical reactions to produce elec-

trical energy. Rechargeable batteries work by moving ions back and forth between two electrodes – a cathode and an anode – through an electrolyte (conductive) solution. In the case of lithium-ion bat-teries, the cathode is most commonly made of lithium cobalt oxide, or LiCoO2, and the anode is made of graphite (a form of carbon).

When you charge a lithium-ion battery, the applied electrical current causes the LiCoO2 cathode to lose electrons and to form lithium ions. These ions are then pushed through the electrolyte solution to the graphite anode, where they’re stored. When a device – such as a computer or a cellphone – draws on the battery, the graphite releases electrons, creating an electrical current, and the lithium ions travel back to the cathode.

Building a Better Lithium-Based BatteryCreating a more energy-dense lithium battery means finding

a material that can bond to more lithium ions. Oxygen has been considered (in a much-hyped lithium-air battery that draws O from the atmosphere), but the most promising candidate seems to be sulphur. First proposed in the 1960s, lithium-sulphur batteries could theoretically hold up to five times more energy than their lithium-ion cousins, and because sulphur is cheap and abundant (it’s a common byproduct of petroleum processing), these batter-ies could be manufactured at a much lower cost.

But lithium-sulphur batteries have their own limitations: sul-phur is not very conductive, so it’s difficult to get lithium ions to permeate a sulphur-based cathode, and take full advantage of its capacity. Lithium-sulphur batteries also tend to die after just a few charging cycles. That’s because lithium ions form polysulphides

By Sarah Mayes

NEXT-GENERATION LITHIUM BATTERIES KEY TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE VIABILITY

when they bond to sulphur, and these compounds dissolve in the electrolyte, gradually eroding the cathode.

Dr. Linda Nazar, a chemist who studies lithium-sulphur batter-ies at the University of Waterloo, has made significant progress in addressing these two challenges. Nazar collaborates with a num-ber of international innovators, including Chemistry Industry Association of Canada member-company BASF (a world-leader in battery science). Her lab recently demonstrated that by embed-ding sulphur in conductive carbon nanotubes, more lithium ions are able to bond with it. Furthermore, by coating the carbon with a polymer, polysulphides were trapped and prevented from dissolv-ing in the electrolyte, thereby extending the battery’s life.

In May 2013, Nazar was awarded $1.8 million in research fund-ing by Natural Resources Canada. Over the next four years, her lab will use cutting-edge approaches to test new lithium and other battery chemistries. The hope is that Nazar’s research (and that of her collaborators) will culminate in a powerful, affordable and commercially viable battery – the type needed to power the next generation of electric cars. A

Sarah Mayes is Director of Public Affairs for the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.

We are.

Who is responsible for Responsible Care®?

MEGlobal is a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) of Kuwait.

Operations, Stewardship and Accountability.

For more information on how MEGlobal is taking its responsibilities seriously, go to http://www.meglobal.biz/environment/2020-goals

We are proud to be a Responsible Care company, and

challenge ourselves every day to improve our health, safety

and environmental performance. It’s how we do business

and measure our success. It’s a success we share with our

employees, our communities and the planet on which we live.

Since 2005, MEGlobal has: • Reduced priority chemical emissions by 84%

• Decreased CO2 emission intensity by 59%

• Reduced energy use by 15%

And we aren’t stopping here. Our next sustainability goals,

Focus 2020, ensure our Responsible Care values continue

to be reflected in all areas of our business.

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rail industry redoubles community dangerous goods safety outreach

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