In recent weeks, an article, authored by Gail Fraser and Joanne Ellis, entitled “Offshore Hydrocarbon And Synthetic Hydrocarbon Spills In Eastern Canada: The Issue Of Follow-Up And Experience”, was published in the Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, Vol. 10, No. 2 (June 2008) pp. 173-187. Fraser and Ellis have discussed the work of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) in assessing the environmental effects of offshore projects and in follow-up activities associated with the occurrence of hydrocarbon spills of less than 50 barrels in volume.

On page 174, Fraser and Ellis outline the content of their paper:

1. the accuracy of oil spill predictions in three offshore oil and gas Environmental Assessments (EAs)
2. the Responsible Authorities’ response where projects exceeded predictions, and
3. the evidence for whether local oil spill experience informed future EAs for four projects.

As the regulator of petroleum exploration and production activities in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area, the C-NLOPB has a duty to ensure that projects are properly assessed prior to their authorization, and that the operators of those projects conduct their activities in a manner consistent with the legislation and with the mitigation measures outlined in the project environmental assessment. We take this role very seriously and find it necessary to comment on the factual basis for some of the assertions made by Fraser and Ellis in the article. The C-NLOPB’s comments are outlined in detail in the attached letter to the Editor of the Journal.

In summary, with respect to the three points noted above, the C-NLOPB’s response is as follows:

1. the forecasts of spill occurrence likelihood for the Terra Nova and White Rose projects were developed using the best data available at the time they were completed;
2. the C-NLOPB’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy refers to the fact that we follow-up on all spills. The compliance and enforcement actions that follow will reflect the nature of the incident and the operator’s response; and
3. contrary to Fraser and Ellis’s assertion, the C-NLOPB has required local spill occurrence information to be considered as part of subsequent environmental assessments.

The attached letter to the Editor of the Journal describes the C-NLOPB’s concerns with the authors’ interpretation of the information and the thoroughness of their investigation. The C-NLOPB is pleased that researchers are using its website and statistical information. However, they are advised to contact the Board as part of their research activity to gain a more thorough understanding of the information made available and the activities of the Board. The Board has written Dr. Fraser and Dr. Ellis and extended an invitation to both researchers to meet with C-NLOPB staff to discuss the issues raised in the article.

Letter to Mr. W. Sheate, Editor of the Journal

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sean Kelly APR
Manager, Public Relations
(709) 778-1418
(709) 689-0713 (cell)
skelly@cnlopb.nl.ca