I appreciate the question.
In the interests of full disclosure, I note that I represent three different groups on matters pertaining to the Old Harry proposal: the strategic environmental assessments being undertaken by the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board and the screening process that is also currently being run by that same board as the responsible authority. My opinions will reflect those of our clients.
The situation right now is nothing short of uncertain. We're not certain, as Mr. Vaughan has suggested, whether or not the board will be a responsible authority, so we're not sure what impact that may have on the screening assessment process. It won't impact the strategic environmental assessment process because that EA process is in fact not even legislated under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. So it won't be changed.
But in regard to the screening assessment, who's to say? In fact, we don't know, because we don't have a project list regulation in front of us. We don't know, going forward, if exploratory wells, whether they take place in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the Beaufort Sea, or anywhere else in Canada, for that matter.... We don't know if proposals to drill will be subject to environmental assessment federally.
I think the point that was made earlier by Mr. Vaughan is really important, which is that among the thousands of environmental screening assessments that currently are taking place, there are many projects that are on a very small scale—they're bridge crossings. So I appreciate the line of questioning from Ms. Rempel. On the other side, there are important and significant projects that are subject only to a screening. If such projects as exploratory well-drilling, for example, and it's that kind of well that caused the Macondo blowout.... If those projects are not subject to federal environmental assessment, the question is, who's going to do it?