BC's Environment Minister has kicked off a symposium on oil spill response to come up with what he calls 'a master plan.'
Terry Lake says it isn't just about government or private industries, it's about getting everybody on the same page.
"We've always had a polluter pay principle, so that the responsible party, if there is to be a spill, is expect to clean up the spill but, you know, we recognize there are gaps in the system as we have today. so we wanna make sure that everyone is working together."
Lake says part of that world-class oil spill response system is to push the feds on issues like re-opening up the Kits Coast guard Base.
"We certainly oppose the closure of the Kits Coast Guard base and we have said to the federal government at a time when we are having more material coming through the port and onto the marine environment we should be putting more resources in not fewer resources. Having said that the response for any spill mostly comes from Western Canada Marine Response Corporation."
Lake says the province will also take its own look at oil spill response systems on the coast.
"We are doing our own analysis of that regime in place. We want to ensure British Columbians that if it isn't up to snuff then we are going to work and push our federal government to make sure it is."
While the Coast Guard will speak at the symposium, completely absent from the room is the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.