Old Harry: The Coalition St. Lawrence denounced the secret negotiations between Ottawa and Quebec
The creation of an Office Offshore should be subject to public scrutiny
Islands-la-Madeleine - 1st March 2011 . St. Lawrence Coalition Challenges Governments of Quebec and Canada in order to submit the creation of a Canada-Quebec Offshore Petroleum to public scrutiny. The Coalition emphasizes that significant independent commissions, set up in the United States and Newfoundland, have recently questioned the ability of such offices to ensure safe operations and environmental protection. The Coalition urges the Government of Quebec to condition the signing of any agreement with the Federal results of its own Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) project and a public review to ensure its improvement.
The Coalition believes urgent action when evidence suggests that creating such an office will be announced shortly. The recent comments of the Minister Nathalie Normandeau to the effect that negotiations with the federal government would "very, very, very well" and the inaugural message of Jean Charest, who spoke last week "to conclude, as soon as possible an agreement with government Federal "suggest that the signing of an agreement is imminent. "We call on ministers and Christian Paradis Nathalie Normandeau for they determine the signature of any agreement to public consultation," said Danielle Giroux Attention fragile.
Coalition St. Lawrence said that independent commissions in Canada and the United States, including the Commission Wells in Newfoundland and the National Commission On The Horizon Oil Spill BP Deepwater Offshore Drilling and the United States, concluded that the fact of giving a single agency mandated to promote economic development of this sector while ensuring effective environmental protection and safety of operations created a conflict of interest that should be corrected. "The current structure of boards makes them both judges and parties in the development of the oil industry in the marine environment, a situation that has directly challenged the safety of operations for the protection of workers and ecosystems," said Christian Simard Nature Quebec.
According to the Coalition, the Commission report Wells has completely discredited the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (the Board) by calling into question its ability to ensure worker safety and oil operations in the marine environment. The report also confirms that the establishment of an independent structure to the Board is required to ensure the safety of offshore oil facilities and environmental protection. "The offices must minimally pass the test of recent commissions of inquiry, which involves the creation of independent agencies to ensure the safety of operations and protecting the environment, "added Karel Mayrand of the David Suzuki Foundation. Wells noted that the Commission was set up following the sinking of an offshore helicopter transportation of personnel and the death of 17 persons in 2009.
Coalition judge before any creation of a new Office of Offshore, deep reforms must be undertaken to ensure the safety of facilities, worker and environmental protection. In addition to the failures noted in the report of Wells, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore can escape the Law of Access to Information and review of the Auditor General of Newfoundland. "It is inconceivable that the agency responsible for the security of oil operations in the Gulf is not subject to the highest standards of transparency, control and supervision by the appropriate government agencies'" added Patrick Nadeau of CPAWS.
The St. Lawrence Coalition comprises 50 associations and organizations from various economic sectors and nearly 1,000 individuals. The Coalition members wish to be a moratorium on exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons across the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Sources:
Danielle Giroux
Spokesperson of the Coalition Saint Laurent (French interview)
President, Attention FragÎles
418-986-6644 / coalitionstlaurent@me.com
Orer Catherine, Director of Communications
David Suzuki Foundation 514-316-4646 x104 / catherine.orer @ davidsuzuki.org
Christian Simard, Director General
Nature Quebec
418-648-2104 x2071 / direction@naturequebec.org
Patrick Nadeau, CEO
Wilderness Society and Parks Canada, Quebec wing
514-278-7627 x226 / pnadeau@snapqc.org
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