Natural Resources committee  Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you very much for inviting us to be part of your meeting this morning. Managing the exploration and development of Canada’s oil and gas resources on federal lands in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and northern offshore is a federal responsi

Natural Resources committee  In closing, I want to reassure the members that oil and gas management decisions are considered very carefully, and a significant level of assessment and consultation occur prior to any recommendation being provided to the minister regarding rights issuance. We acknowledge that

Natural Resources committee  A lot of research and experiments are conducted in the Beaufort Sea. I will answer in English, I apologize. We synthesize all of that information for our consultations and assessments with Environment Canada, with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, with renewable resource

Natural Resources committee  The National Energy Board requires that plans be submitted. These contingency plans are supposed to address all of the response measures in case of an oil spill. Traditionally, in the Beaufort we have had a requirement for a relief well. This is a policy of the Government of Ca

Natural Resources committee  There are three statutes that affect the north, particularly the Beaufort Sea. There is the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act, which sets liability at $40 million. There is also the Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act , which imposes an additional $40 million in compensation.

Natural Resources committee  Oh, yes. There has been extensive knowledge gained. We've looked at decades of concerns about that kind of spill cleanup, and a lot of the research and a lot of the discourse, including the environmental studies research funds, have focused on oil spill response in ice waters.

Natural Resources committee  I'm not the expert on the cleanup, but in terms of the public debate and the public concern, it's certainly acknowledged. Definitely look to the companies, the operators, to develop a spill response. Also, internationally--

Natural Resources committee  We also leverage a lot of international studies. Very shortly, there is going to be an inter-agency report coming out of Norway. There's continual public attention in trying to find means to clean up these spills.

Natural Resources committee  I'll address that for the north. It's not a veto per se, but beyond first nations, the aboriginal groups include Inuit in the north. In accordance with their land claim agreements, they co-manage environmental assessment boards. They have members on those boards. They have a larg

Natural Resources committee  I mentioned earlier in answer to a previous question that prior to the National Energy Board taking over the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act responsibilities, there was a review done by the Environmental Impact Review Board pursuant to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, whereby th

Natural Resources committee  They have just put out, on June 10, an invitation for participation and comments on the scope. So we have yet to decide what the government department's role will be in that review.

Natural Resources committee  I don't have the facts before me.

Natural Resources committee  The NEB has two distinct legislative-based mandates, and the—

Natural Resources committee  I will tell you that. Under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act, it is not cost-shared. The industry does not pay for the NEB's regulation.

Natural Resources committee  INAC is coordinating that.