&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
OSWER(5101)
July 1994
U.S./CANADA BORDER ACTIVITIES
U.S./Canada Joint Inland
Pollution Contingency Plan
FACTSHEET
How IT BEGAN
The preliminary step
br developing the
US. /Canada Joint Inland
Pollution Contingency Plan
(Inland Plan) was the
October 1985 Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU).
This MOU is specific to accidental and
unauthorized discharges of pollutants along
the U.S./Canada inland boundary and was
signed by the Minister of the Department of the
Environment for Canada (Environment
Canada) and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for
the United States. The MOU provided an
outline of activities to be undertaken by the
United States and Canada to prepare for and
prevent chemical accidents along the border.
The focus of the MOU was the development of
the Inland Plan. Further, it spelled out the goals
and objectives as well as key issues to be
covered in the Inland Plan. The roles and
responsibilities of the Joint Response Team and
On-Scerie Coordinators and the terms under
which the Inland Plan would be invoked were
also specified. Using this MOU as a guide and
the experience gained from developing other
bilateral chemical accident contingency plans,
S ummary In the mid-1980s, after Mexico and the U.S. signed a landm ark agreement to
protect and improve their border environment, Canada and the U.S. began efforts to reach
similar agreement Both countries recognized that taking steps to prevent chemical accidents
along the border helps keep the population and environment safe. Additionally, the tragic
chemical accident in Bhopal, India, as well as other environmental emergencies, showed that
insufficient preparation for and response to a chemical accident can have devastating effects.
For these reasons, Canada and the U.S. began to develop a Joint Inland Pollution Contingency
Plan. Its purpose is to ensure that a mechanism is in place effectively and efficiently to prepare
for and respond to chemical accidents in the inland border area, thereby reducing the impact
of such accidents.
DEVELOPING THE PLAN
Canada and the US. designed the Inland Plan
on the foundation of two basic principles:
First; that it is is strictly a federal umbrella plan
for Canada/US, cross-border emergency re-
sponse efforts. This federal plan complements
state and local plans; it does not interfere with the
accident prevention and preparedness activities of
state and local planners and responders. Second;
the Plan must be a continuously evolving docu-
ment. As experience is gained from planning and
exercising at all levels, revisions will be made.
The Inland Plan was drawn up in a collaborate
atmosphere. luring the entire drafting and
reviewing process, EPA and Environment Canada
worked closely with their federal, state, provin-
cial, and local colleagues. In order to facilitate this
co-ordination, they held extensive consultations
the two countries set out to develop the Inland with all appropriate stakeholders inside and outside
Plan.
EPA and Environment Canada.
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
| Printed on recycled paper
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U.S./Canada Border Activities
July 1994
WHAT THE PLAN Is
The purpose of the Inland Plan is to establish a
co-ordinated and integrated federal response
to chemical accidents along the inland border by
supporting and assisting regional, provincial,
state, and local planners and responders of both
countries. To accomplish this purpose, the Inland
Plan furnishes a mechanism for preparedness for
and response to a chemical accident that causes or
may cause damage to the environment along the"
inland border and that may constitute a threat to
public health. In addition to setting up a mecha-
nism for assistance during a cross-border event,
the Inland Plan also allows for assistance when
only one country is affected by a chemical acci-
dent, if it is of sufficient magnitude.
The Inland Plan was completed in July, 1994. Its
key provisions:
Provide for a bilateral co-operative prepared-
ness and response mechanism
Include the "polluter pays" principle
Allow for tha provision of assistance when
only one country Is affected
Establish a co-ordinated and Integrated federal
response
Serve as a federal umbrella plan for regional,
state, and local planning and response
* Create an International Joint Advisory Team,
Regional Joint Response Teams, Federal On-
Scene Coordinators, and Advisory and Liaison
Coordinator
Complement the Canada/U.S. Joint Marine
Pollution Contingency Plan
Require the development of regional annexes
Require annual review and contains a flexible
amending process so the Inland JCP remains
a useful and current tool for both countries
CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER
INTERNATIONAL AcnvnTEs
TPhe Inland Plan completes the trilateral efforts
JL among Mexico, the United States, and
Canada. The three countries now have contin-
gency plans in place along their shared borders to
protect the local communities and the environ-
ment from chemical accidents. Mexico and the
United States have been working closely since
1983 to complete (in 1988) and implement the
Mexico/U.S. Joint Contingency Plan for the
Mexico/U.S. inland border area. The lessons
learned from that process were used to ensure the
Canada/U.S. Inland Plan is useful and effective.
In addition to the Inland Plans along both bor-
ders, there are also US./Mexico and U.S./Canada
Marine Plans for the shared waterways along the
borders.
The Canada/U.S. Joint Inland Pollution Contin-
§ency Plan is also one of the steps the United
tales is taking to comply with the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe's Convention
on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Acci-
dents, which the United States signed in March,
1992. This Convention requires participating
countries to put in place appropriate mechanisms,
including contingency plans, to prevent, prepare
for, and respond to chemical accidents capable of
causing transboundary effects. The Canada/U.S.
Inland Plan meets many of the requirements
within the Convention. Thus, this Inland Plan is
one more step toward a co-ordinated effort world-
wide in the area of chemical emergency preven-
tion, preparedness, and response.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Within the next year, the two countries will
hold a Canada/US. International Joint
Advisory Team (IJAT) meeting to discuss realities
of their operation and organization and discuss
roles and responsibilities of each participating
agency. Additionally, the IJAT will set a schedule
of future meetings and exercises and determine
possible dates for revising the Inland Plan. Re-
gional Annexes will also be developed by the
regional response teams (RRTs) between 1994 and
1997 and will incorporate lessons each of the
countries has learned from the development of its
contingency plans. Additionaly the RRTs will
ensure the Regional Annexes are complementary
to existing regional, state, and local plans.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...
Contact Ms. Kim Jennings: (202) 260-5046
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and
Prevention Office, U.S. EPA
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
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