Operators are required to report environmental and health & safety incidents to the CNSOPB in accordance with criteria set out in regulations and detailed in the Incident Reporting and Investigation Guidelines.   Reporting to the CNSOPB by the operator includes:

• Incident Notification (immediate verbal, immediate written and written notification depending on the nature of the incident);

• Incident Investigation Reports (due within 21 days of occurrence, all reported incidents are to be investigated by the operator to determine information such as root cause and actions to prevent reoccurrence).

Operators direct all immediate verbal notifications to the CNSOPB at (902) 422-5588. Written notification (including immediate) is submitted to the CNSOPB by incident [at] cnsopb [dot] ns [dot] ca (E-mail).

For each incident reported, the CNSOPB verifies that the operator takes the appropriate actions to determine the cause of the incident and to prevent its reoccurrence. Pursuant to the Board’s compliance and monitoring processes, CNSOPB staff may also investigate health, safety and environmental incidents that occur at offshore worksites, depending upon their nature and severity.

For significant spills, hydrocarbon releases and unauthorized discharges, the Board assesses the potential environmental impact. In addition to following up on these incidents, the CNSOPB also monitors whether trends are occurring. Environmental concerns include the potential impact of sea-surface petroleum products on seabirds and the marine habitat.

SPILLS TO THE SEA