News

Halifax Port Authority to Allow Class 1 Cargoes

04/15/2018

IME applauds officials at the Halifax Port Authority and Natural Resources Canada Explosives Regulatory Division (NRCan ERD) for their leadership and efforts to reopen the port to all Class 1 cargoes, with specified quantity restrictions, as of April 12, 2018. The commercial explosives industry in Canada and the United States will be positively impacted from conclusion of the moratorium on Class 1 cargoes through the Port of Halifax, impacting the mining, quarrying, construction, and oil and gas sectors. 
 
IME would also like to recognize the work of IME’s IMESAFR Subcommittee leadership and our partners at the Canadian Explosives Industry Association (CEAEC) for their critical engagement with Halifax Port officials and NRCan ERD to conduct an accurate risk assessment and develop a policy that allows Class 1 materials through the port while ensuring public safety. The multi-year effort began with IME and CEAEC petitioning Transport Canada and NRCan ERD to consider quantitative risk assessment to identify safe quantities of allowable Class 1 cargoes and was successful precisely because of the government-industry cooperation and the Institute of Makers of Explosives Safety Analysis for Risk (IMESAFR) program.
 
IME President Debra Satkowiak stated, “The successful resolution of this moratorium was based on the scientific accuracy of the IMESAFR program, as well as the transparency in collaboration between the industry’s safety associations and the government entities responsible for the welfare of the public.  I greatly appreciate the exhaustive efforts of officials at NRCan ERD and the Halifax Port Authority for their engagement on this issue which is not only an issue of worker and the public safety, but also has significant economic impact on the explosives industry in North America.”
 
For more information on the Institute of Makers of Explosives or IMESAFR, go to www.ime.org. 
http://www.portofhalifax.ca/port-operations-centre/marine-operations-and-terminal-hours/class-1-dangerous-goods-notifcation-and-pre-approval-policy/