The leader of the NDP is once again urging for an independent offshore authority following the third oil spill in the province’s offshore in less than a year.
After the 250,000 litre spill at the White Rose field in November 2018, the NDP was looking for answers, stating in the House of Assembly that the self-regulation by industry is clearly not working, and called for the creation of an independent offshore safety and environmental authority.
Alison Coffin is reiterating those calls after two recent spills at the Hibernia platform, one on July 17th when some 12,000 litres spilled, and another this past weekend where about 2,200 litres spilled.
Coffin says we need tougher regulations and monitoring to prevent oil spills, the die-out of seabirds, and near-misses with icebergs.
The NDP is calling on Natural Resources Minister, Siobhan Coady and government to work with the federal government to establish an independent authority similar to the global standard set in Norway and Australia.
Coffin says in the spirit of collaboration, she urges Premier Dwight Ball to work with other party leaders to plan how to make offshore safety and environmental protection independent from the C-NLOPNB, something that’s long overdue.
