Minister Comments on Cape Breton Public Review

PETROLEUM DIRECTORATE--Minister Comments on Cape Breton Public Review

The Minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Petroleum Directorate said the conclusions and recommendations of a review into exploration activities offshore Cape Breton are fully consistent with provincial energy policies.

The report, on a review of planned exploration activities under two licences awarded to Hunt Oil and another issued to Corridor Resources off Cape Breton Island, was released today, April 2.

Mr. Balser said commissioner Dr. Teresa MacNeil did a very good job of addressing the concerns of many interests in Cape Breton.

"The commissioner is asking us to build on the experience gained from the public review and the relationships developed to move forward," he said. "This recommendation is consistent with the approach in our energy strategy."

Among other things, the report calls for a working group to be established to assess the proposals for activities during the next stage of regulatory approvals.

"This is not part of the regular process, but it could be a very positive suggestion," said Mr. Balser. "I will want to hear from others before drawing a final conclusion."

The report also recommends that scientific, technical and experiential resources be brought together to assess the existing knowledge on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans review of the Gulf of St. Lawrence fisheries resource, the Hunt and Corridor updated proposals and the Public Review Commissioner's findings.

The review was ordered in a directive from the federal and provincial governments to the joint regulator -- the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board. Ms. MacNeil held public meetings last fall in a number of communities and held public hearings in January.

The full report is available on the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board's Web site, at www.cnsopb.ns.ca .