Petroleum Board

Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 20:05:08 -0300 (ADT)
From: Mark Butler <ar427@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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April 28, 2000

For Immediate Release
Are Oil Companies and the Petroleum Board trying to 
Avoid Proper Assessment Process?

The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board has come under strong
criticism from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and other
organizations, including the Ecology Action Centre, for its environmental
assessment process.

A consortium of major oil companies have submitted a draft assessment of
exploratory drilling to the CNSOPB which they claim is comparable to a
class screening under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act(CEAA). If
the Petroleum Board approves the oil companiesU report, all future
applications to drill exploratory wells could receive almost no scrutiny,
cutting costs for the oil companies and eliminating public input. 

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency in a three page letter to the
Petroleum Board dated April 18th clearly rejected the contention put
forward in the draft assessment that it is comparable to a class screening
under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The Agency was also
critical of the report because it didnUt recognize the gaps in knowledge
about the marine environment and about the impacts of exploratory drilling
on that environment.

Observes, Mark Butler, marine coordinator at EAC, it appears the
Petroleum Board wants to be seen to be following the Act, but not to
actually do the proper assessments that the Act requires. Once again we
question the ability of the Board to be a promoter of rapid expansion of
the petroleum industry and at the same time protect the environment and
other marine industries from the impacts of petroleum activities.S
 
The EAC in a letter to the Petroleum Board raised serious concerns about
the report including the following concerns:
-no field work is required before drilling proceeds
-the method used to rate impacts is flawed, eg. the death of 11,000 birds
from an oil spill is ranked as minor

The Petroleum Board held a public meeting on March 30 at which time the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the EAC expressed concern
about the process being proposed.  The Board has now received written
comments from interested parties  and will be making a decision shortly.
						-30-

For more information contact Mark Butler, Marine Coordinator, Ecology
Action Centre at 429-2202/423-9700.



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The preceding message was posted on the Sustainable Maritimes
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