Written by Coast Guard 9th District staff

Adm. Paul Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard, hosted the commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, Mr. Jeffery Hutchinson, in a one-day “Summit” at the Coast Guard sector field office in Grand Haven, Michigan. The Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard share a long history of cooperation in numerous missions across their shared maritime border and the Summit provided a great opportunity for both organizations to continue to strengthen that cooperation.

During the Summit, senior representatives from each organization discussed issues specific to executing responsibilities to prepare for and respond to oil and hazardous substance events under the auspices of their bilateral Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan. In addition, the group provided updates on joint initiatives specific to the Arctic, enhancing shipping safety and security, and enhancing cooperation with the critical Indigenous populations of the U.S. and Canada.

A highlight of the Summit was the signing of the 2017 update to the Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan, which serves as a coordinated system for planning, preparedness, and responding to harmful substance incidents in the contiguous waters along the shared maritime borders of the U.S. and Canada. This plan supplements each country’s national response systems and coordinates the interface of these systems for boundary areas.

Editor’s Note: The information in this post originally appeared in a news release issued by the Coast Guard 9th District.

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