What is REET?

In 1970, the tanker "ARROW" ran aground in Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia, spilling its cargo of bunker oil. The lessons learned from the response to and the clean-up of the "Arrow" spill made one thing clear: The most up-to-date information and expert advice on environmental matters had to be made more readily available, from one source, during pollution emergencies.

In 1973, Environment Canada set up national and regional committees to give advice on how to prevent, plan for and respond to environmental emergencies. These committees, or "teams", are made up of representatives from federal and provincial government agencies responsible for environmental protection, and from private industry. Each regional committee is referred to as the Regional Environmental Emergency Team, or REET.

What Types of Emergencies Does REET Participate In?

• large oil spills
• spills of hazardous materials that endanger human life or the environment
• chemical fires or explosions
• large spills of chemicals or pollutants
• spills that local authorities are not equipped to handle
• threats to natural resources or property
• spills that could cross international borders

How does REET operate?

REET has two main operating roles: planning and response

As part of the planning function, "team" members meet once a year to exchange scientific and technical information on such matters as contingency planning and spill response techniques. During this time, REET members also update and review their respective roles in any emergency response.

In its response role, REET operates as a team of experts, advising the On-Scene-Commander, or OSC, in emergency situations. If the polluter is known, the OSC is usually from the private sector; if the polluter is unknown or unable to undertake the clean-up, an OSC from a government agency spearheads the operation.

REET has proven its usefulness many times during environmental emergencies. The break-up of the tanker "Kurdistan" in 1979 and the blowout on the oil rig "Vinland" in 1984 are just some of the incidents in which REET has played a major role. REET has also helped provincial agencies during the Canning chemical fire in 1986, the Sydney PCB fire in 1994 and the pesticide warehouse fire in Sussex, N.B., the same year.

REET will continue to respond effectively and efficiently by providing the most current environmental information and expertise. Team participants, their roles, and the issues involved are constantly evaluated to ensure that REET can continue to meet its primary objective of protecting the environment.

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Responsibilities

Environmental Advice

• spill cleanup priorities
• spill containment and recovery strategies
• use and acceptability of chemical dispersants/in-situ burning
• spill behaviour, fate and effects
• impacts of hazardous materials on people and the environment
• waste storage and disposal
• wildlife and fisheries protection and rehabilitation strategies

Spill Response Planning

• provision of sensitivity maps and information on sensitive resources
• training on shoreline protection and cleanup
• guidance on contingency planning
• participation in exercises

Spill Response Operations

• monitoring impact on wildlife and fisheries resources
• spill trajectory modelling
• spill sampling and analysis
• weather forecasts and warnings
• evaluation of cleanup activities
• assessment of environmental damages

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