The Council of Canadians marked the 50th day since the devastating BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by calling for a moratorium on oil and gas development in the Arctic.
There is a perfect storm brewing in Canada laying the groundwork for a similar catastrophe
With the discovery of 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under melting ice, the Arctic is increasingly being viewed as a final frontier for fossil fuel development. More than 80 per cent of the oil and gas is found offshore.
BP has already acquired three offshore exploration licenses for the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil Canada were also successful in acquiring exploration rights for a part of the Beaufort Sea.
Bids are currently underway for more exploratory licenses in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta from March 6 to July 6, 2010.
Despite opposition by local Inuit, the Nunavut territorial government and Parks Canada, the Geological Survey of Canada has been granted approval for seismic tests exploring for oil and gas in Lancaster South in Eastern Canadian Arctic. This area been proposed for designation as a national marine conservation area.
Like the U.S., Canadian offshore drilling regulations have recently been relaxed. In December 2009, regulations shifted more responsibility to the energy industry to self-regulate, including rules meant to safeguard against oil spills.
BP and other oil companies have reportedly urged Canadian regulators to drop a safeguard requirement that companies in the Arctic have to drill relief wells in the same season as the primary well. Until recently, the National Energy Board (NEB) was prepared to give Arctic drillers, including BP, an exemption for relief wells.
In the wake of the BP disaster, many commentators report that Canadian rules are even more relaxed then American rules which failed to prevent a devastating spill.
Bill C-9, the Budget Implementation Act (passed the House of Commons, June 8) contains several provisions that will gut environmental assessment rules, including giving the Environment Minister power to decide whether or not an environmental assessment is necessary for oil and gas developments and power to shift responsibility for environmental assessments solely to the Big Oil-friendly National Energy Board (NEB).
Moratorium Now!
Use our action alert to send an email demanding a moratorium on oil and gas exploration and drilling in the Arctic.
Check out our new webpage section including 5 reasons to support a moratorium, here and a letter to the editor I wrote published in the Toronto Star (copied below).
Slap moratorium on Arctic drilling
Andrea Harden-Donahue
The Toronto Star
June 10, 2010
Re: Lock in safety regime for high-Arctic drilling, June 3
Some 50 days ago, the worst environmental disaster in American history began. Images of the BP oil spill have horrified people worldwide. Oil soaked wetlands, dying animals, firsthand accounts of jobs and livelihoods lost — this is just the start of what will be long-lasting impacts.
There is a perfect storm brewing in Canada laying the groundwork for a similar catastrophe. BP has already acquired three offshore exploration licenses for the Canadian Beaufort Sea, alongside Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil Canada. Right now, the Canadian government is actively hosting a bidding process for more licenses.
With the discovery of 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under melting ice, the Arctic is increasingly being viewed as a final frontier for fossil fuel development. More than 80 per cent of the oil and gas is found offshore.
Canadian regulations are reportedly even more relaxed than American rules. Bill C-9, the 2010 Budget Implementation Act, even grants the Environment Minister power to decide whether or not an environmental assessment for oil and gas developments is necessary.
The only surefire way to prevent a spill is a moratorium on oil and gas development in the Arctic. Not only will this prevent the type of disaster that continues to spew oil into the Gulf of Mexico, a moratorium is a logical first step in a just transition to sustainable jobs, energy and an improved environment for everyone.
Andrea Harden-Donahue is a climate justice campaigner for the Council of Canadians.
