The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board
(C-NLOPB) has received Minister of Environment Peter Kent’s letter requesting a two-pronged approach for Environmental Assessment of the proposal by Corridor Resources Inc. to drill an exploration well on its Exploration Licence (EL) 1105 (also referred to as Old Harry), in the Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Minister has asked the Board to address the concerns raised in the public comments through an update of the 2007 Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) for the Western Newfoundland Offshore Area. Second, the Minister has requested that the environmental assessment should continue as a screening with extensive public consultation.

Max Ruelokke, Chair and CEO of the C-NLOPB, stated that, “The Board, in response to the Minister’s letter, has agreed to this request. We have begun planning for two separate processes that are independent, but informed by one another.”

The Board is establishing a working group to oversee the process of updating the SEA for the Western Newfoundland Offshore Area, which begins with the development of a scoping document for the SEA. An integral part of the SEA process is public consultation and the Board will ensure that this will be conducted as part of the review process.

In addition, the C-NLOPB will be engaging an independent reviewer to conduct extensive public consultations for the screening of the proposal by Corridor Resources Inc. to drill a well on its Exploration Licence (EL) 1105. The Board is finalizing the scoping document for the screening and is also finalizing the terms of reference for the public review. Details regarding the public consultation component as part of the screening environmental assessment will be released in the coming days.

Media Contact:
Sean Kelly M.A., APR, FCPRS
Manager of Public Relations
(709) 778-1418
(709) 689-0713 (cell)
skelly@cnlopb.nl.ca