The Movement of Dangerous Goods in the Atlantic Region.

The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Directorate (TDG), based on risks, develops safety regulations and standards, conducts oversight, and provides expert advice on dangerous goods incidents to promote public safety in the transportation of dangerous goods by all modes of transport in Canada.

TDG and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, an agency of the Department of Transportation in the United States, have partnered together for several collaborative projects. These projects are part of an on-going working relationship with PHMSA and allow TDG to leverage, not only Canadian, but also American data to effectively identify the risks of dangerous goods moving between the two countries.

The Atlantic Gateway and Trade Corridor is a vital transportation network which connects the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador to the global market . With natural, deep-water ports, this network captures trade flows from markets in Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia via the Suez Canal . Primarily a marine corridor, the Atlantic region also contains key airports, border crossings, roads, and rail connections for access to major North American markets with the United States accounting for 63% of total Canadian trade4. Although a wide variety of commodities are transported through this corridor, dangerous goods including containerized petroleum products and crude oil make up the bulk of the movements5. With The Atlantic corridor being well positioned to handle an increased share of trade6, any changes to the market may bring an increased volume of dangerous goods through these Atlantic ports.

The primary objective of this study is to comprehensively describe the logistics and movements of dangerous goods in, out and through the Atlantic region of Canada in 2022-2023. The study will also identify the major distribution centres that service the Atlantic region.