The CEO of the C-NLOPB says they are disappointed and expect better from operators in the offshore following last week’s Hibernia oil spill.
Scott Tessier says with the Husky spill in November, and now another significant spill, it makes things challenging for industry and undermines public confidence, while creating issues of compliance for the regulator.
He says they have a commitment from Hibernia Management and Development Company that they will not resume production without the C-NLOPB’s approval.
Tessier says they will continue to provide regulatory oversight in terms of response, and that’s the priority right now.
When the time comes to turn their minds to resumption of production, that will only come following a thorough investigation of root cause of the incident, then they will make an independent assessment of where things stand.
Tessier says their investigation is underway, as they have investigative powers under the Atlantic Accord.
Hibernia is conducting its own investigation into the root cause, and Tessier says the focus is on the crude oil interface level measuring system.
Oil Spill ‘Unacceptable’: Minister
The Minister of Natural Resources says the oil spill from Hibernia is unacceptable. Minister Siobhan Coady says safety and environmental protection are the priorities.
Coady says environmental protection is something everyone is concerned about. While there are rigorous processes before there are and there are rigorous processes before there are any environmental impacts in the province’s offshore, but things do happen.
The Minister says it’s a learning process. Coady says from this spill and the Husky spill earlier this year, they are learning that they can do even more to protect the environment. She has told the regulator and industry that they are very serious about this, and environmental protection is paramount.
The minister says we take about 300,000 barrels of oil offshore Newfoundland every day and that we have to get it right.
She says they are looking at whether backup surveillance is needed.
No New Updates
Meanwhile, there are no new updates from the Hibernia Management and Development Company (HMDC) on last week’s spill.
HMDC says response efforts are continuing with eight third-party wildlife observers continuing to monitor for wildlife from vessels and overflights.
There have been no new reports of impacted wildlife after three oiled birds were spotted, and just one recovered.