Western Newfoundland and Labrador Strategic Environmental Assessment Amendment to the 2005 SEA Report

The public is invited to comment on the draft amendment to the 2005 Western Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area Strategic Environmental Assessment report.

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a broad-based approach to environmental assessment that systematically examines the potential environmental implications of proposed program or policy decisions. In the Board’s case, the results of a SEA are used in its decision to issue exploration licences for marine areas within the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area.

The SEA amendment extends the geographic coverage of the 2005 SEA report to include additional lands southwest of the original 2005 SEA area. It will provide an overview of the existing environment of the amendment area, identify the potential environmental effects that may be associated with exploration activities, identify possible mitigation measures and monitoring options. The Board will consider this information in deciding whether to issue exploration licences, in whole or in part, as a result of its 2007 Call for Bids. The SEA is not a replacement for the site or project-specific environmental assessments that must be performed before the Board authorizes individual works or activities in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area.

Written public comments on the SEA amendment will be accepted by the Board until noon on August 10, 2007. Comments can be sent to the address below or via email to ead@cnlopb.nl.ca.

Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board
5th Floor, TD Place
140 Water Street
St. John’s, NL
A1C 6H6
709-778-1400

Media Contact:
Sean Kelly APR
Manager, Public Relations
(709) 778-1418
skelly@cnlopb.nl.ca