News Release
For Immediate Release
November 4, 2020
CANADA-NOVA SCOTIA OFFSHORE PETROLEUM BOARD (CNSOPB) INVITES WRITTEN COMMENTS ON DRAFT STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA)
In January 2020, we held a 30-day commenting period on the Scoping Document for the Western Scotian Shelf and Slope SEA.
We are now inviting Indigenous communities, stakeholders and the public to provide comments on the Draft SEA for the Western Scotian Shelf and Slope through our online form. The commenting period is open from November 4 - December 4, 2020. The written comments we receive will be shared publicly on our SEA Registry. These comments will be reviewed, and, where appropriate, incorporated in the final SEA, which will be posted on our website.
A SEA is a broad-scale study used to identify potential environmental effects that may be associated with potential future oil and gas exploration activity for a particular portion of the offshore area. SEAs are also used to identify the associated mitigation measures that may need to be considered to avoid or minimize these potential effects.
SEAs are developed to help us, operators, Indigenous communities, stakeholders and the public learn more about environmental considerations for a specific offshore area. We use SEAs to identify environmental sensitivities and mitigation measures that should be considered to protect the environment before project‐specific activities are proposed.
Conducting an SEA does not mean that activity will take place in the area. Should an activity be proposed in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area, operators must submit a suite of documents, including a project-specific Environmental Assessment, or Impact Assessment, that must demonstrate that the proposed work can be done without significant adverse environmental impacts.
We invite Indigenous communities, stakeholders and the public to submit written comments on the Draft Western Scotian Shelf and Slope SEA. Please submit your comments through our online submission form by 4 p.m. on December 4, 2020.
The final SEA will be posted on our website.
About the Board
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board is the independent joint agency of the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia and is responsible for the regulation of petroleum activities and resources in the Canada-Nova Scotia offshore area.
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Western Scotian Shelf and Slope Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Document and Opportunity for Comments - January 27, 2020
Draft Western Scotian Shelf and Slope SEA
Online submission form - November 4 - December 4, 2020
Contact:
Laura Wright
Advisor, Communications
Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
Cell: 902-471-9285 | lwright@cnsopb.ns.ca