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Index of Subjects
Guide to Scoping ("Issues") Sessions of the Public Review Into Oil and Gas
Development on Coastal Cape Breton
Due to public pressure, the federal and provincial governments have mandated
the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) to hold a public
review of teh exploratory phase of oil and gas development within the three
"parcels" for which permits were granted to Hunt Oil (2 permits near Sydney
Bight) and Corridor Resources (permit along western coast of Cape Breton).
The review will be conducted by a sole commissioner, Teresa McNeil, an adult
educator who has lived in both Cape Breton and Antigonish. The hearings
themselves will take place in January. Ms. McNeil has decided to hold
"scoping sessions" in a number of communities in the next week.
Schedule:
all sessions at 2pm-5pm & 7pm-10pm unless indicated other wise
September 25
PORT HAWKESBURY, CEP Local 972 Hall, 323 Reeves St.
September 26 INVERNESS, Inverness Fire Hall
September 27 CHETICAMP, Center Acadien
September 28 ANTIGONISH, Royal Canadian Legion, 294 Main St.
October 2 INGONISH BEACH, St. Peter's Parish Hall
October 3 SYDNEY MINES, Memorial High School - Lecture Theatre, 80 Memorial
Dr.
October 4 GLACE BAY, Bay Plex Recreation Centre, North Street
There will also be a session in PEI (TBA details)
WHY?
The goal of these sessions is to identify issues which will form the
substance of the January hearings. The scoping sessions will be smaller and
less formal than those in January. Our goal at this stage is to ensure that
all the key issues make it into the record of the scoping sessions.
The terms of reference under which the public review will take place are
extremely narrow. The ONLY issues to be discussed will be the impacts of
seismic and exploratory drilling. The impacts of having operational
drilling platforms on our coast is off-limits, out of bounds. So, while you
may want to mention how inadequate and intellectually dishonest it is to
examine exploration as though it does not lead to development, we should try
to focus on those issues which are within the Terms of Reference.
If everyone takes this list to each scoping session and ensures all of these
issues are raised, we should be well covered for the Public Review.
ISSUES TO BE RAISED:
The impact of seismic and exploratory drilling on:
1) Whales and marine mammals
2) The eco-tourism potential of whales and the operational economic impacts
on whale watch operators
3) Juvenile fish
4) Shell fish
5) All commercial species
6) All non-commercial species
7) Economic impacts on tourism and fishing
8) Employment
9) Species at risk, especially Atlantic Salmon
10) Aboriginal Rights
11) Regulation in other jurisdiction (ie. why is such activity disallowed in
coastal North America except Atlantic Canada)
12) Potential release of toxic substances or military ordinances dumped off
shore
13) Impact on health of toxic military ordinances if released due to seismic
14) Environmental impact of produced water, etc. in exploratory drilling
15) Impact on health of oil and gas (a tough one without the issue of gas
flares in actual operations which is outside our terms of reference)
Cyndi Gilbert
Coordinator, Atlantic Canada Chapter
Sierra Club of Canada
1312 Robie Street, Halifax NS B3H 3E2
Tel: (902)422-5091 Fax: (902)422-9440
www.sierraclub.ca/atlantic
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Index of Subjects