Improve knowledge related to hydrocarbons in the St. Lawrence System

Better management of environmental risks related to shipping on the St. Lawrence requires greater knowledge of marine incidents, their potential impact on ecosystems, and the best practices to adopt to prevent or mitigate these impacts.

The mandate of the exchange group is to establish and strengthen collaboration and coordination between provincial and federal departments and agencies active in the prevention and management of marine incidents related to the protection of the uses and ecosystems of the St. Lawrence. It brings together government experts in oil spill management and response planning as well as specialists in the field of conservation and enhancement of freshwater and marine ecosystems of the St. Lawrence. It provides a forum for specialists and scientists and aims to improve the dissemination of expertise, the exchange of data, the identification of gaps and the creation of new knowledge. Ultimately, the exchanges made and the recommendations issued will improve the management of environmental risks related to marine transportation.

The St. Lawrence River is an important shipping route for Canada and Quebec. The transportation industry requires adequate management of the risks of incidents involving a potential oil spill in the river and marine environments.

For this project, the exchange group on the management of the ecological risks associated with oil shipping on the St. Lawrence River brings together experts in risk management, response and river and marine ecosystems. This exchange group promotes the sharing of knowledge, the identification of gaps and the development of synergies leading to the creation of new knowledge. More specifically, it allows teams from both levels of government to report on current activities, ensure linkages and prepare optimally for a potential incident that could have an impact on ecosystems.

One of the possible interventions in case of oil spills is the use of chemical dispersants, which facilitate the creation of fine oil droplets that are dispersed in the water. However, few studies have assessed the effects of the chemical dispersants in cold waters. As each dispersant has a different chemical composition, the modes of action and toxicity are very variable. Furthermore, the dispersant-oil mix can be more toxic for the aquatic organisms than the oil alone.

The researchers in this project study the way oils and dispersants react in a laboratory in cold water conditions, which are representative of the St. Lawrence ecosystems. Among other things, they determine the sensitivity of several species living in cold water, which is representative of aquatic freshwater environments in Quebec, to these substances.
 

Oil spills can have significant and harmful consequences for municipalities from a health and public safety perspective in addition to an economics perspective, by affecting, for example, drinking water intakes. It is thus essential that the stakeholders collaborate more effectively in such emergency situations. Under the SLAP project, our experts gather information from various sources and develop tools to guide those responsible in case of a maritime incident. From this, a collaborative framework was developped and distributed along with a majority of stakeholders involved in emergency management measures  in response to potential marine incidents.