Project Scope

ERPs are a legal requirement for many aspects of oil and gas exploration, production,
processing, and transportation operations; however, the value of emergency response
preparedness goes beyond regulatory compliance. ERPs help upstream petroleum
industry operators
 identify and quantify the risks associated with their operations,
 identify strategies to minimize and/or eliminate risks before they contribute to
incidents, and
 manage the residual risks so that any incidents that occur have minimal impact.
The outcomes of effective preparedness and response can strengthen industry
infrastructure and lessen any potential negative impacts (human, environmental and
financial) on its operations.
The CAPP Companion Planning Guide to Directive 071 (the Guide) was created to help
companies in the Alberta petroleum industry protect employees, the public and the
environment, as well as meet regulatory requirements in developing, implementing, and
reporting emergency preparedness and response activities. The guide should also help
meet the requirements of other provinces. This document also offers additional
guidance specific to sour gas releases, high vapour pressure (HVP) product releases and
spills of hydrocarbons and produced water.
Goal
The goal of this Guide is to answer industry questions from producer members
regarding implementation of the new and pre-existing aspects of ERCB Directive 071
and to provide a location where non-regulatory aspects of Directive 071 (i.e.,
expectations) could eventually be housed.
Key Objective
The key objective of the Guide is to assist the petroleum industry in understanding the
ERCB regulatory requirements and expectations for developing an ERP and in
responding to an incident.
General Approach
Each section of the Guide mirrors the corresponding section in Directive 071 for ease of
reading and provides implementation guidance and advice on the interpretation of
Directive 071 as well as answers to frequently asked questions. An additional section
on frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) regarding the ERCB implementation strategy is
included as Section 17.
How to Use this Guide
Use this document in conjunction with Directive 071 as a tool to provide in depth
clarification and interpretation of the ERCB regulatory requirements. The Guide can
July 2008 CAPP Companion Planning Guide to ERCB Directive 071