BP: resumes work despite investigation into spill

[Oscar]

BP resumes work; given green light by Offshore Petroleum Board despite ongoing investigation into spill

[ https://canadians.org/blog/bp-resumes-w ... tion-spill ]

July 24, 2018 - 1:57 pm

(PHOTO: Marilyn Keddy of CPONS delivers lawn signs to Marke Slippe in the Wolfville area of NS.)

In unsurprising news, late Sunday evening the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) gave BP Canada approval to recommence their drilling operations offshore Nova Scotia, southwest of the Sable Island National Park Reserve.

In their news statement yesterday, the CNSOPB states “The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board’s (CNSOPB) ongoing investigation into the unauthorized discharge of drilling mud that was reported on June 22, 2018 has determined the cause to be a loose connection in the mud booster line. The purpose of the mud booster line is to pump drilling mud into the riser to lift drill cuttings from the well to the drilling unit for processing.” They go on to list a number of steps BP has committed to ensure this particular type of accident won’t happen again. [ https://www.cnsopb.ns.ca/news/approval- ... -bp-canada ]

Their investigation of the drilling mud spill remains ongoing, which includes assessment of environmental effects of the drilling mud, the seabed area, and collection and analysis of the mud from the seabed floor.

The Council of Canadians and our allies responded to the news that BP has resumed drilling, including in this piece by Global News [ https://globalnews.ca/news/4346987/call ... balHalifax ], this one from Y95.5 Yarmouth [ http://cjls.com/news/876440168/bp-canad ... fter-spill ], and this one by CBC News [ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-sco ... -1.4758372 ]. The Campaign to Protect Offshore Nova Scotia (CPONS), a project of the South Shore chapter of the Council of Canadians, also sent a media release in response.

Other than the spill on June 22nd, recent work on this campaign hasn’t all been bad. Municipalities along the South Shore are speaking up and raising questions of their provincial and federal counterparts (see Brent Patterson’s blogs on these). The CPONS had lawn signs made and has been busy delivering them all over the western half of the province. They also had a party to celebrate the amazing work done so far by a small but mighty group raising concerns with the offshore industry.

To read more about our offshore NS campaign, please click here:
[ https://canadians.org/offshore-drilling ]

Blogs by Angela Giles
Council of Canadians Atlantic regional organizer
[ https://canadians.org/blogs/angela-giles ]