Environment committee  Again, that is our understanding.

Environment committee  Could you clarify the question? Are you asking about seismic in general, or are you asking with respect to seismic on Sable Island?

Environment committee  Again, we are aware of one environmental assessment that was done for the 1999 program and of the code of practice that was put in place.

Environment committee  The analysis and that sort of thing was done by the Offshore Petroleum Board through its environmental assessment process.

Environment committee  I'm not aware of what was done at that time, because Parks Canada was not on the scene on Sable Island. That was under the Offshore Petroleum Board.

Environment committee  You mean with respect to Sable Island.

Environment committee  That's correct.

Environment committee  I believe there was also some seismic work done in 1996, but 1999 was the last one.

Environment committee  Yes, that's my understanding.

Environment committee  We have no basis to think that something would be done differently.

Environment committee  We have not consulted the public specifically on the 1996 code of practice. That's within the purview of the board. But I think the report and the findings by Ms. Lucas speak for themselves, in terms of the fact that she felt the program was a success in minimizing the impact on Sable Island.

Environment committee  The code of practice plus the board's procedures for doing environmental assessments and that sort of thing would be, yes.

Environment committee  Yes. Clause 8 in Bill S-15 is clear that, with respect to Sable island National Park Reserve, the surface access rights provided for under this section are limited to “the following”, and those are the four things that Mr. Latourelle addressed.

Environment committee  What we have brought to the table is the idea of consulting on the protocol, what the scope is, and what we're talking about. Then, when it comes to an actual proposal, it is the Offshore Petroleum Board that would deal with a review and consider whether or not to authorize it. It would be under the terms of the accord act, and also under the board's various policies and programs, which they would use to assess a request to access Sable Island for seismic, which I believe would include consultation.

Environment committee  That was the agreement between the Government of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada to go with a one nautical mile buffer around the zone, around the national park reserve, to which the ban on drilling and exploration would apply. I would point out that this is pretty much a first in terms of our national park system.