Public Notice
Regional Assessment of Offshore Oil and Gas Exploratory Drilling East of Newfoundland and Labrador - Public Comments Invited

What is happening?

January 23, 2020 — The Regional Assessment Committee is seeking public comments on the Draft Regional Assessment Report for the Regional Assessment of Offshore Oil and Gas Exploratory Drilling East of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Committee invites the public, Indigenous and stakeholder groups, governments and other participants to submit comments in writing on the Draft Regional Assessment Report. The Draft Report addresses the various requirements of the Regional Assessment Agreement, which was finalized in April 2019. The Report describes the approach, methods and activities undertaken by the Committee to conduct the assessment, provides an overview of the existing environmental setting of the Study Area, and discusses potential effects and their management. The report also includes information on cumulative effects, the integration of Indigenous Knowledge, sustainability, climate change and other considerations.

The Draft Report provides the Committee's recommendations on required mitigation and follow-up measures for future exploratory drilling activities in the Study Area, and how key information gaps should be addressed.

How can I participate?

Comments can be submitted online by visiting the Regional Assessment page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 80156). All comments received will be published online as part of the project file.

Written comments in either official language will be accepted until February 21, 2020.

A geographic information system (GIS) decision-support tool developed as part of the Regional Assessment process will be released at a later date, along with details on the Committee's planned public engagement activities on this system.

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What is the Regional Assessment?

The Regional Assessment focuses on the effects of existing and anticipated offshore oil and gas exploratory drilling in the offshore area east of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Regional Assessment aims to improve the efficiency of the environmental assessment process as it applies to oil and gas exploration drilling, while at the same time ensuring the highest standards of environmental protection continue to be applied and maintained. The assessment will build upon the experience and knowledge gained in assessing previous projects, reduce duplication in processes and information, and result in more efficient project reviews for exploration projects.

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