The Western Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Update Report is now available in English and French here.

The C-NLOPB is responsible for ensuring that offshore oil and gas industrial activities within its jurisdiction proceed in an environmentally acceptable manner. A SEA is a broad examination of the regional environment that provides a foundation for program planning and informs future decisions, such as the potential issuance of exploration licences. It provides an overview of the biophysical and socio-economic environment, including potential environmental sensitivities. The first SEA for the Western Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area was completed in 2005 and then amended in 2007.

The updated SEA was compiled by the C-NLOPB’s contracted consultants, AMEC Environmental and Infrastructure, with the assistance of a 17-member Working Group consisting of federal and provincial government agencies from the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec and One Ocean, the organization established to develop and maintain a cooperative relationship between the fishing and petroleum industries in Newfoundland and Labrador. Public consultations were held in each of the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec. The draft SEA Update Report was available for public and regulatory comment from June 21 to September 27, 2013. All relevant correspondence and documents received by the Board have been posted on the Board’s website. Comments within the scope of the SEA Update Report were considered in finalizing the report. Comments and suggestions outside the scope are best considered by policy makers within governments. The C-NLOPB would like to thank AMEC, the Working Group, and members of the public who have contributed to the updated SEA.

Any petroleum-based activity proposed for the Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area will be the subject of a project-specific environmental assessment, which would form part of the basis for a
C-NLOPB authorization and set out any mitigations or restrictions to be applied before a proposed activity can proceed. Safety and environmental protection are paramount considerations in all C-NLOPB authorizations.

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