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Safety Plan Guidelines and Environmental Protection Plan Guidelines - Letter to all interested parties

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Safety Plan Guidelines and Environmental Protection Plan Guidelines - Letter to all interested parties [PDF 85 KB]

File AD-GA-RG-COGDPR 03
31 March 2011

To: All Interested Parties

Drilling and Production Regulations
Safety Plan Guidelines and Environmental Protection Plan Guidelines

The National Energy Board (NEB or the Board) is pleased to continue its collaboration with the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board to develop guidance for the Drilling and Production Regulations, SOR/2009-0315 (DP Regs), under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. O-7 (COGOA) and the Offshore Accord Acts[1]. The DP Regs came into force on 31 December 2009.

[1] Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. O-7; the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Newfoundland and Labrador Act, R.S.N.L. 1990, c. C-2; the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act, S.C. 1988, c. 28; and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation (Nova Scotia) Act, S.N.S. 1987, c. 3 (collectively, the Offshore Accord Acts).

While the development of the full suite of guidelines related to the DP Regs continues, the Board has decided to release the attached Safety Plan Guidelines and Environmental Protection Plan Guidelines. Guidelines are an important part of the regulatory framework and, while not mandatory, are intended to provide assistance to interested parties in understanding the requirements of the DP Regs and how those requirements could be met.

The guidance is being released by the NEB to assist operators conducting onshore exploration or production activities. There are currently no offshore drilling applications being considered by the Board. The Board has undertaken the Arctic Offshore Drilling Review to support the clarification of the requirements for conducting offshore drilling activities. The release of these guidelines is not part of the Arctic Review. However, the Arctic Offshore Drilling Review may be used as another means in which to inform future updates to the guidelines.

The Board will continue to work jointly with the C-NLOPB and CNSOPB to achieve the vision for the continued development and improvement of guidance related to the DP Regs. The guidelines will be updated as necessary to reflect lessons learned through stakeholder engagement, audits, assessments, advancements in technology, and improvements to best practice. Feedback from our ongoing stakeholder engagement and comments on the guidelines are welcome at any point. There will be an annual review and assessment of all comments received.

The Board welcomes any comments on the Environmental Protection Plan Guidelines and the Safety Plan Guidelines. Comments should be submitted by email, fax or mail to either:

Anne-Marie Erickson
Secretary of the Board
National Energy Board
444 Seventh Avenue S.W.
Calgary, AB T2P 0X8
Facsimile 403-292-5503 or 1-877-288-8803

John Crocker
Policy and Regulatory Coordination Division
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board Fifth
Floor, TD Place
140 Water Street
St. John's, NL A1C 6H6
E-mail: information@cnlopb.nl.ca

If you have any questions or wish to discuss the Safety Plan Guidelines or Environmental Protection Plan Guidelines, please contact the Project Manager, Susan Measor, at 403-221-3272 (toll free at 1-800-899-1265) or at susan.measor@neb-one.gc.ca.

Yours truly,

Anne-Marie Erickson
Secretary of the Board

 

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Date Modified:
2011-10-28