New Chair for Offshore Petroleum Board
Diana Lee Dalton is the new chair of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board.
The announcement was made today, Aug. 31, by John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, and Cecil Clarke, Nova Scotia Energy Minister.
"Ms. Dalton has had a distinguished career in law and consulting on natural resources, both in Canada and abroad, and will be a welcome addition to the board," said Mr. Efford. "I believe her leadership and experience will be an asset to the board in its deliberations and decisions."
"I'm very pleased that we were able to find someone of Ms. Dalton's ability to be chair," said Mr. Clarke. "Nova Scotia's offshore is at a critical stage of its development and we're counting on the board to be a responsible steward of that development."
Ms. Dalton, an independent consultant, has worked with governments, the private sector and international development agencies on legal and administrative matters in the natural resources sector. She was interregional advisor in natural resources at the United Nations in New York and acting assistant secretary and senior policy analyst with the department of minerals and energy for the government of Papua New Guinea. She has also held senior positions in the Nova Scotia government and was legal counsel for LASMO Nova Scotia Ltd., an oil and gas company.
Ms. Dalton holds a law degree from Dalhousie Law School, as well as a master's degree in political science from McMaster University, and an honours bachelor's degree in political science from Acadia University.
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board is an independent body responsible for the regulation of petroleum affairs and safe practices offshore Nova Scotia on behalf of the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia. The board's responsibilities include ensuring safe offshore operations, protecting the environment, managing offshore oil and gas resources and issuing licences for offshore exploration and development.
The board reports to the government of Canada through the Minister of Natural Resources, and the government of Nova Scotia through the Nova Scotia Minister of Energy.