National Energy Board Coat of Arms
Symbol of the Government of Canada

National Energy Board

www.neb-one.gc.ca

Breadcrumb

Home > Who we are & our governance > NEB Service Standards

NEB Service Standards

In today's business environment, service standards have become an essential tool for building effective client-focused service within organizations. In addition, the User Fees Act requires that the National Energy Board (NEB or the Board) set and report on service standards so that our performance can be measured.

Service standard performance is published annually in the NEB's Departmental Performance Report (DPR) and Annual Report.

The NEB has reviewed a number of its processes and has established standards for service delivery so our clients know what to expect. These service standards identify specific delivery targets or timelines for key services.

Release of Hearing Decisions and Environmental Assessment Reports

Following a public hearing, the Board considers all the evidence brought forward as part of the public record during the proceeding. It then releases its decision to the public in a document called the ‘Reasons for Decision'.

The timing for release of a Board decision following a public hearing depends on a number of factors including:

  • the length and complexity of the hearing;
  • the length of the resulting Reasons for Decision, which is translated and available in both official languages;
  • the requirement for a separate Environmental Assessment requiring a Government Response or decision by the Minister of the Environment (Joint Review Panel Report, Comprehensive Study Report or NEB Environmental Assessment Report for a substituted process); and
  • the number of hearings that the Board is dealing with at a given time.

The Board's service standard is that 80 per cent of its Reasons for Decisions will be completed and released within 12 weeks following a public hearing. This service standard does not apply to hearings that involve the issuance of a separate Environmental Assessment Report requiring a Government Response or decision by the Minister of the Environment.

For hearings involving the issuance of a separate Environmental Assessment Report requiring a Government Response or decision from the Minister of the Environment; i.e., Joint Review Panel Report, Comprehensive Study Report or NEB Environmental Assessment Report for a substituted process, the Board's service standard is that 80 per cent of the Environmental Assessment Reports will be completed within 12 weeks following a public hearing. The related NEB Reasons for Decision would then be released within two weeks of receipt of the Government Response or decision from the Minister on the Environmental Assessment.

The week between 25 December and 1 January is not included in applying these service standards.

Export/import applications

The NEB is responsible for reviewing applications and authorizing the export of oil and natural gas liquids, the import and export of natural gas, and export of electricity.

The Board evaluates complete applications and makes its decision within these timelines:

  • Short-term export orders for oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids - two working days.[1]
  • Natural gas import orders - two working days.[1]

[1] Non-routine applications that may have broader policy implications are not subject to these service standards. Applicants whose application falls into this category will be notified within two working days.

Electricity export applications are divided into one of three categories based on:

  • their level of complexity.
  • the estimated number and type of information requests which may be generated; and
  • the level of third-party interest.

Within 10 days following the completion of the Notice of Application/ Directions on Procedure (NOA/DOP) period, applicants will be notified of the category assigned and the estimated date for release of a decision.

The following service standards have been adopted for electricity export applications:

Category Complexity of Issues Electricity Export Decision Release
A Minor 80 per cent of decisions released within 40 calendar days following the completion of the NOA/DOP period
B Moderate 80 per cent of decisions released within 90 calendar days following the completion of the NOA/DOP period
C Major No service standard

The trigger date for cycle time tracking is the day following the successful completion of the NOA/DOP period. Applicant time-outs will be tracked and those days deducted from the Board's cycle times. Time-outs are periods of time during which the Board has limited or no control over the processing of the application. For example, if an applicant has been asked to provide additional information, a time-out is the period of time between the target response date set by the Board and the date on which the applicant provide its response.

Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act (COGOA) applications

Under COGOA, the NEB regulates the drilling of wells and geological and geophysical work in frontier areas. The Board will make its decision on an application to drill (or alter the condition of) a well within 21 calendar days of receiving a complete application. For geological and geophysical applications, the service standard is 30 calendar days.

Canada Petroleum Resources Act (CPRA) applications

Under the CPRA, the NEB regulates Significant Discovery and Commercial Discovery Applications on frontier lands. For making decisions, the service standard is 80 per cent of decisions will be made in 90 days from the day that all information is available to complete the evaluation process.

Landowner complaints

The NEB expects regulated companies to attempt to resolve complaints from landowners before the complaint reaches the Board for resolution. However, this is not always possible.

When a landowner contacts the NEB with a complaint, he or she will be informed within 10 calendar days of the process that will follow to resolve the complaint. The NEB commits to resolving 80 per cent of landowner complaints within 60 calendar days of receiving the initial complaint, if there are no complicating circumstances. Some examples that could cause the service standard to exceed 60 days include cases where a more formal process is required to resolve the issue or if seasonal factors affect the ability to schedule an inspection promptly.

Audits

The NEB is committed to conducting management systems audits in support of its mandate with respect to safety, security, environmental protection and economic efficiency. The NEB conducts two types of audits, including an Onshore Pipeline audit and a financial audit. The following service standards have been adopted for these audits:

Onshore Pipeline Regulation (OPR) audit

The Board commits to ensuring that 80 per cent of draft OPR audit reports will be sent to the audited company within eight weeks of field work completion. Eighty per cent of the final audit reports will be sent to the audited company within eight weeks of receiving the audited company's comments on the draft report.

Financial audit

The Board commits to ensuring that 80 per cent of draft financial audit reports will be sent to the audited company within eight weeks of field work completion. Eighty per cent of the final financial audit reports will be sent to the audited company within three weeks of receiving the audited company's comments on the draft report.

Non-hearing applications (Section 58)

The Board receives some applications which do not require a public hearing in order to make a decision. This includes pipelines that are shorter than 40 kilometres in length, and some undertakings such as tanks, reservoirs, storage facilities, pumps, racks, compressors and loading facilities. Decisions on these types of applications are considered under Section 58 of the National Energy Board Act.

Section 58 applications are classified into one of three categories based on:

  • their level of complexity;
  • the estimated number and type of information requests which may be generated;
  • the probability of third-party interest; and
  • the level to which a Federal Authority may become involved in the environmental assessment of the application.

Within 10 days of filing an application, applicants will be notified of the category assigned and the estimated date for release of a decision.

The following service standards have been adopted for Section 58 applications:

Category Complexity of Issues Section 58 Decision Release
A Minor 80 per cent of decisions released within 40 calendar days*
B Moderate 80 per cent of decisions released within 90 calendar days*
C Major 80 per cent of decisions released within 120 calendar days*
* These standards do not include timeouts, which are periods of time during which the Board has limited or no control over the processing of the application. For example, if an applicant has been asked to provide additional information, a timeout is the period of time between the target response date set by the Board and the date on which the applicant provides its response.

Responses to general correspondence

The NEB receives written correspondence from people requesting information about a variety of energy issues. The service standard for the Board to respond to general correspondence is 10 working days.

Requests to the NEB Library

The NEB Library receives hundreds of requests for publications or other information every year. The standard for responding to requests from the Library is one working day.

Information requests to the NEB Internet site

The NEB receives requests from the public for general information through its Internet site. The service standard for responding to information requests is two working days, except for complex issues which may take longer.

How can I get more information about the NEB and its activities?

You can get more information through a series of information publications the NEB produces.

To contact the publications coordinator:

The Publications Office
National Energy Board
444 Seventh Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 0X8
E-mail: publications@neb-one.gc.ca
Telephone: 403-299-3562
Telephone (toll free): 1-800-899-1265
Telecopier: 403-292-5576
Telecopier (toll free): 1-877-288-8803
TTY (teletype): 1-800-632-1663

 

Footer

Date Modified:
2011-10-28