Gulf Oil Spill Effect on Canada
Think that the Enormous oil spill in the Gulf affects Canada?
Currently Oil and Gas companies, including, Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc., whose rig exploded and sank at the BP exploration site in the Gulf, have been calling for a relaxing of drilling regulations in Canadian waters. The result of the Gulf Oil spill has been a request to postpone these hearing. I wonder, do they think that maybe they should wait until this blows over before asking Canada to lower our standards.
Currently Canada requires energy companies to complete a "relief well" in the same season as they drill their working well. The purpose of this relief well is to ensure that in the case of a blow out the relief well can be used to stop the flow of oil. The energy companies claim that new technology makes this relief well unnecessary. This other technology is a house size metal device called a blow out preventer. Oil rigs are all supposed to be outfitted with one of these. It is designed to seal the pipe shut in the case of a blow out. This device failed in the current Gulf oil spill.
With off shore drilling proposed off shore in BC and the Beaufort sea as well as another set of leases up for sale offshore of Nova Scotia, Canada needs to seriously look a the risks of drilling offshore for fossil fuels. As we move to drilling in deeper and deeper waters with shorter drilling seasons, the need for frequent disconnects from the well head by the drilling platform, due to pack ice, becomes and issue of concern.
The US has stopped all offshore drilling pending the finding of the cause of the Gulf oil spill. Canada has refused to join this moratorium, the Harper government citing Canada's tighter regulations on drilling as the reason. Yet the National Energy Board was willing to hold hearing on relaxing the regulation on drilling in the Arctic. Of course the Energy companies requested that the hearing be delayed after hearing about the Gulf oil spill.
Why does this matter to the Greens? This Oil spill has garnered more media attention then probably all other environmental issue put together for the past year. Yet, the discussion is about how to regulate or deregulate the oil industry. I have yet to hear anyone from Government stand up and say why are we still drilling for oil. This should be the time to scream out; it is time to power our world by other means. I had the chance to hear Robert Kennedy Jr speak several weeks ago. He spoke about how to move to a non oil dependent energy system. The Gulf spill should be a wake up call. This should not be about oil drilling regulations. This should be about what energy source should be driving our economy.
Canada does not even have a National Energy Policy. If we continue to debate about oil regulations and spill prevention we miss the big picture.
Currently BP owns 3 oil leases in the Beaufort Sea.
Currently BP has asked to have the release well safety requirement waived on BP's Beaufort sea drilling.
There is pressure to drill off the coast of British Columbia
The Gulf spill has not even been stopped yet and it has been over a week.
Does anyone think that sealing off and cleaning up an oil spill will be easier in the Arctic??????????
Gary Brown
Natural Resource Issue Advocate
Green Party of Ontario.
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Brief Follow UP
The reponsibility for regulating the environmental impact if drilling is no longer under the Ministry of the Environment. The last Harper Budget transferred this reponsibility to the National Energy Board. I have just looked at the make up of this Board. No Environmental NGO representation. It is composed of lawyers and former Energy Sector employees.
http://www.neb-one.gc.ca/clf-nsi/rthnb/whwrndrgvrnnc/brdmmbr/brdmmbr-eng.html
Looks like the mice are in charge of the cheese again.
Gary Brown
Thanks for the post Gary!
Thanks for the post Gary. I posted a similar message on the members forum after the spill happened and was hoping that others would start talking about BP trying to get regulations relaxed. While the disaster in the Gulf is a tragedy, it is also an opportunity for Greens to raise awareness about Canada's energy policies and corporate lobbying in the energy industry.
Oil coverage
I've noticed that, when the spill is mentioned, a lot of commentators add in how we need oil somehow and basically that we just need to live with spills. How to change these commentators minds? Well, I suspect many actually know it is wrong to keep this up but they also know who pays the bills - see how many ads on radio/TV are for gas stations (thus for oil companies). Follow the money and it always tells you a lot.
Now, how to deal with it? Making sure we make a lot of noise should they start up those hearings about relaxing regulations. Making sure that we mention it a LOT during the next election - that Harper has fought to relax regulations and do we want oil spills in BC (might help push our polling numbers up out there, especially if we point out how the Liberals are led by a pro-oil guy too) and out east and up north.
Not sure how we can get more face-time in the media on this issue. Perhaps if we avoid mentioning climate change and just focus on the many issues oil spills create (seems the media is sick of climate change thus 'changing the channel' might be a good idea for now otherwise we get no air time and no attention).
John Northey
Wellington-Halton Hills
I agree we need to carry this issue home
I agree with the climate change comment. People just glaze over when we bring it up. Events like this that don't fall into our hands often and need to be made the most of. Did you see BP's profit numbers for the quarter. They are obscene, given the fact that some of it could have been spent on making wells safer.
I think we need to have a general focus on what greening our economy will do for jobs. All issues should be related to job growth.
Most people don't realize that our econmic platform would result in huge economic and job growth. I like to use the line " It is time we stop investing in the economy of the 70's and invest in the ecomony of the 21st century".
Gary Brown
Why is there no talk about banning BP from drilling in Canada.
Why is there no talk about banning BP from drilling in Canada.
BP have shown negligent disregard for our planet again. Please feel free to google the long list of disregard for our world shown by BP.
Despite this I have not heard of any serious consequences for BP. I think we need to consider banning BP from doing business in Canada. We don't need BP. Maybe if this is the starting point for discussions with BP they may realize that the people are serious.
BP has requested that the National Energy Board of Canada relax our environmental regulations for drilling offshore in the Arctic.
BP likes to advertise itself as "Beyond Petroleum". If we ban them from drilling in Canada then we will see how serious they are about "Beyond Petroleum"
Gary Brown
Natural Resource Issue Advocate
Green Party of Ontario
Gary Brown
Ban BP?
I'm not sure if banning BP gets us anywhere -- someone else will just step up to take its place. What we should be doing is creating legal covenants between the federal, provincial and municipal governments to make it impossible to "relax" away protections (because it will create a permanent civil liability between levels of government.)
You will see what will happen with this latest debacle. BP will say that they will pay, pay, pay, but as soon as a Republican president gets in, all accounts will be closed. What I say is, make sure that BP doesn't just say they will pay, but they pay upfront.