Campaign to protect offshore Nova Scotia underway

Offshore speaking tour, sponsored by the Council of Canadians, in Shelburne March 22

Recent developments have increased the activity of a group concerned about Nova Scotia’s offshore development.

On Feb 14, representatives from Campaign to Protect Offshore Nova Scotia (CPONS), a project of the South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians, spoke to the Municipality of Yarmouth’s committee of the whole.

Marilyn Keddy says the government promised in 2015 that it would make an environmental assessment probable and that it would continue to grant permits for drilling but communities had to grant permission.

“We’re finding that, increasingly, that’s not happening,” she said.

“The regulatory board, which is the Canada Offshore Petroleum Board, has been dominated by oil industry-associated people. It has a mandate to encourage public participation but has not done that in the history of its existence.

“We feel that it’s blatantly undemocratic and lacks transparency,” said Keddy.

“In our opinion, it’s like the fox is totally in charge of the chicken coop.”

She says British Petroleum has been granted permission to drill offshore Nova Marilyn Keddy, Marion Moore and Brian Rogers presented to Yarmouth municipal council recently on behalf of Campaign to Protect Offshore Nova Scotia (CPONS), a project of the South Shore Chapter of the Council of Canadians. Scotia, most likely this spring. Keddy and her colleagues, Marion Moore and Brian Rogers, outlined their goals on behalf of their organization: ensure that decisions about exploration and development in offshore Nova Scotia are made by the people most impacted; secure a moratorium on exploration and development in Nova Scotia’s entire offshore area; and collaborate with and support other groups that have similar vision and goals.

CPONS believes the regulatory board should include representatives from the oil and gas industry. It should also include representatives from fishing, tourism and from communities that are affected, they say.

Yarmouth Deputy Warden John Cunningham questioned the CPONS focus on the province.

“I think this problem is a lot bigger than Nova Scotia. The U.S. government has deregulated, taken some of the teeth out of the EPA. That was a government decision down there. Obviously, even though we protect our own offshore, their water is just right over there,” he said.

Keddy replied that they have been in touch with allies, like the Sierra Club, that work on a much broader scale than their organization.

Coun. Trevor Cunningham: suggested council should send information about CPONS to MP Colin Fraser and legislative representatives.