Protect Offshore Nova Scotia: Join the campaign
From: The Campaign to Protect Offshore Nova Scotia (CPONS)
Date: May 30, 2016
We are writing to ask you to join a campaign addressing the
economic and environmental risks associated with decisions by the Canada
Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) approving exploratory
drilling activity in Nova Scotia’s offshore. The Campaign to Protect Offshore NS (CPONS) asserts that it is imperative and urgent that immediate action be taken to:
- make the CNSOPB more broadly representative of the community;
- develop a democratic, transparent and accountable decision-making process;
- hold mandatory public hearings on key proposals with funding for
public interest intervention as well as testimony by independent expert
witnesses; and, - improve in-house capacity to ensure that scientifically credible
environmental and socioeconomic research is available to decision makers
and the community.
On October 20, 2015—one day after the federal election—many Nova
Scotians were caught by surprise when the CNSOPB granted Shell the right
to drill adjacent to fishing grounds. We need a process that upholds
the new Liberal government’s promise to “engage in appropriate
regulatory oversight, including credible environmental assessments”
based on their understanding that “[w]hile governments grant permits for
resource development, only communities can grant permission” (http://www.liberal.ca/realchange/environmental-assessments/ May 14, 2016)
Oil companies will cite statistics to argue that accidents in the
industry are few. Premier Stephen McNeil has claimed that Shell has a
strong safety and environmental record. But industry records tell a very
different story. The following sample of Shell accidents demonstrates
that Nova Scotian communities should not ignore the very real risks that
accompany offshore drilling: