Negotiation, diplomacy and environmental impacts a discussion of the realities of multi-agenty Co-operation throughout the aftermath of arelease incident

摘要

On 20 December 1995 a 32 car train derailment occurred resulting in the release of approximately 136,000 litres of diesel fuel. The spill migrated off the CN right-of-way into a wetland and defined creek located on Paul Band First Nation land. This-of-way into a wetland and defined creek located on Paul Band First Nation land. This paper reviews the initial assumptions and response, the impact the wather conditions had on etermining the extent of the diesel plume, recovery procedures, clean-up and remediation. The current status of the site one and a half years after the spill is also presented with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the remediation. While minimising the environmental impact is the first and foremost concern when dealing with the aftermath of a spill, the reality is, obtaining this objective requires good negotiation skills and dioplomacy. The complexities of multi-agency interactions throughout the incident will be discussed against the background of shifting priorities, cometing views and dual responsibilities.