Is Your Emergency Plan Missing This Key Element?

Streamline Your Claims Process with Our Checklist for Local Governments

While generally safe, the transportation of dangerous goods like crude oil can pose risks to communities, the environment, and the economy.

In the event of a major rail accident, the costs of clean-up efforts, emergency response, and overall damages can escalate quickly.

In the past years, we have met hundreds of concerned local leaders from across the country. Many told us that costs would rapidly become overwhelming for their community.

While most have emergency preparedness plans in place, cost recovery is often missing from these plans. This may result in a delay or even prevent communities from accessing compensation. That is why it is important to understand how the compensation process works, and to know who is responsible for paying at each step.

In the event of a rail accident involving crude oil, the railway company is the first to pay for any damages. It pays until it reaches its liability limit¹. The Rail Fund is available to pay for all remaining eligible claims. Once activated, we begin accepting, evaluating, and paying claims. Since we are funded by industry, we also protect taxpayers from bearing the costs of the accident.

As local governments may be unaware of this process or how to submit a claim, we have launched a new compensation checklist. This simple, step-by-step guide outlines what we can compensate for and how to submit a claim. It also walks you through the process of gathering the documentation needed to support your claim.

We know that submitting claims can be complex. Preparing in advance can make a big difference in making this process easier, so that you can focus on what matters most: your community’s recovery.

Make compensation part of your preparedness plan and download the checklist today!

• Download the checklist here: “Compensation checklist for local governments”

¹The minimum liability insurance coverage as set out in the Canada Transportation Act (the Act), Schedule IV, is based on the volume of crude oil a railway transports annually. The amount required ranges from $100 million to $1 billion.