Evidence of meeting #82 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was parks.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chief Executive Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
That would be prohibited.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Thank you.
The low-impact activities that are contemplated include not only seismic, but also something called magnetics, gravity and geochemical studies. Could you give us a brief description of what kinds of impacts those three kinds of studies would have?
Chief Executive Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
It would be extremely limited to none, in terms of environmental impact.
There are programs called aeromagnetics that look at fluctuations in the magnetic field. People who specialize in that area can interpret distortions of a magnetic field as an indicator of oil and gas reserves. An aeromagnetic program is run by flying. You fly with the receivers, the equipment for detecting that shift in magnetic field, in an airplane.
If you look at geochemical-type studies, they're typically right at the surface, and they're looking for anomalies. In some areas of the world, you actually have natural seeps where oil and gas actually seep to the surface. You can dig a little hole and look at the sand and you can tell if there's any naturally occurring hydrocarbons, which would give you an indication of something underground.
We're not talking real industrial activities with those types of programs.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Let me put the point on that then. Is there any possibility that any activity with significant negative impacts would be considered by the board as low impact?
Chief Executive Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
No, the first thing that we would do.... When you look at Sable Island, we would look at this in a two-part process, actually a multi-part process.
When you get right to the environmental assessment piece, we would use the CEAA definition, which means we would look to make sure there's no significant adverse environmental effects, but we would go beyond that when it comes to low impact. We would say that those activities might be allowed under that test, but under the test of low impact we're going to be looking for additional mitigation that could be implemented, different methods that could be implemented to lower impact further.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Would this would be done in the context of a full environmental assessment of the proposal?
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
In such an assessment would you be giving public notice and allowing opportunity for public submission?
Chief Executive Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
Elizabeth, do you want to talk about that?
Elizabeth MacDonald Advisor, Environmental Affairs, Conservation Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
Absolutely. The CNSOPB does environmental assessments for seismic programs. We will be doing what we call an accord act environmental assessment for any proposed seismic, and that would include effects on wildlife, and if there's anything in the marine environment, effects on the marine environment, and air quality, commitments for air quality monitoring and such.
Sable Island has been considered in our strategic environmental assessment, which is done at the call for bids stage, as a special area. We completed a strategic environmental assessment in 2012 that included the Sable Island area.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I'm not sure if I missed it, but all of that would include public notice and a call for public input. Am I correct?
Advisor, Environmental Affairs, Conservation Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
Yes. That strategic environmental assessment included a public consultation, and the EA that would follow would include public consultation as well.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
May I give Mr. Preyra an opportunity to respond to this as well?
Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Government of Nova Scotia
I know the answers have been couched in “in the present” and “in the past”, but the future process is going to be significantly different. It will be guided by a new player at the table, Parks Canada, and the Offshore Petroleum Board protocol that will result from a series of public consultations. It will be a very different definition of low impact, I suspect.
Conservative
Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Government of Nova Scotia
Yes, definitely, and I think the point being made here is that there was a directive given on strategic environmental assessments that already is pretty rigorous and this will just add to that.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Very good. I want to say, by the way, I'm very grateful to hear the comments of the environmental commissioner on the degree of rigour that the board already applies. I was reassured by that.
Mr. Preyra, are you able to tell me when Nova Scotia introduced its bill in the legislature on this? How long did it take to get it through to completion and passage?
Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Government of Nova Scotia
The actual public process started a long time ago, as some of the parties at the table know, but we introduced the bill in this past spring's sitting. There was unanimous consent in the legislature. We had similar types of discussions to what we're having here, but it did go through unanimously.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Excellent. Prior to that there was quite a significant period of time in which those consultations that you mentioned occurred. Is that correct?
Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Government of Nova Scotia
Yes. Parks Canada really is to be commended for the consultations and the process that resulted. The broad parameters that were established were a result of those consultations, including delegating to Parks Canada the authority to manage the island, both in terms of the visitation and what happens when you visit Sable Island.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht
Thank you, Mr. Woodworth.
We'll move now to Ms. Duncan, for seven minutes.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses for your time and effort tonight.
I do have a concern that we are unable to hear first nations testify today. I think their input should be fundamental.
I'll begin by asking you a question, Minister.
Would you say that the Government of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada have provided ample consultation with first nations in the ramp-up to negotiating, drafting, and tabling this bill?
Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Government of Nova Scotia
There has been a significant amount of consultation leading up to it. The Mi'kmaq in fact wrote a letter saying that they agreed with the creation of Sable national park.
There have been discussions with Parks Canada that have also resulted in an agreement where Parks Canada will fund some of the research that will lead to establishing to what extent and where there was Mi'kmaq presence on Sable Island.
The made-in-Nova Scotia process will continue, and we will continue to work with the Mi'kmaq representatives. Parks Canada will continue to work with Mi'kmaq representatives. The Mi'kmaq chiefs want the park to happen. Out of respect for the potential claims, we've called it a reserve, and that designation will remain until those outstanding issues are resolved.
Liberal
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Pinks, according to this bill, the final authority on what activities can take place in and around Sable Island rests with your organization. While Parks Canada is required to provide counsel to the board, the board is not required to obey that advice. There's some nervousness out there. What assurances can you provide that you have the scientific capacity to make these decisions?
Chief Executive Officer, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
As part of an activity authorization that we may receive, a full environmental assessment is done. Elizabeth just explained some of the ins and outs of that.
Consultation from a scientific perspective is a significant component of that. We will take environmental assessments that we receive and we will solicit scientific advice and expertise from people at DFO, Environment Canada, and very much Parks Canada in this particular case, and others. We will collect all of that scientific input.
The role of our board is to sift through that scientific input and make a final determination. Where science is offered to us with a proper scientific basis that is not conflicting.... You can imagine with a roomful of experts that you can sometimes get conflicting scientific input. We have to sift through that and decide what we accept, and which one we give credence to.