Newfoundland Regulation
The regulator for offshore oil extraction is the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) (see also van Driel and MacDonald). This joint federal-provincial board was formed under the Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Act (1987, c. 3). The C-NLOPB oversees all phases of the offshore oil and gas extraction: exploration, identification of parcels of ocean to place for bid, development, production, and decommissioning. The C-NLOPB is the lead Responsible Authority for environmental assessment processes (see C-NLOPB Project-based environmental assessments). Through Memorandums of Understanding with federal agencies (Environment Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Transport Canada), the C-NLOPB is the lead agency for environmental protection and shipping related offshore oil activities.
There are a number of regulations pertaining to offshore oil and gas extraction activities: 1) environmental protection; 2) resource management; 3) exploration; and 4) safety. Note that a major report on offshore helicopter safety, which raises key critical issues about the overall offshore regulation process, was released in November 2010.
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The content for this province was peer-reviewed in December Oct 2013. We’d like to acknowledge the assistance of the external reviewers.
