ARCHIVED – National Energy Board – 2011-12 Departmental Performance Report – Message from the Chair and CEO

Message from the Chair and CEO

I am pleased to present the National Energy Board’s (NEB or Board) Departmental Performance Report for 2011-12. The NEB’s mandate is to regulate pipelines, international power lines and designated interprovincial power lines under federal jurisdiction, and energy development and trade in the Canadian public interest. It is the Board’s responsibility to hold those we regulate accountable for results that are in the public interest.

During 2011-12, the NEB launched an Action Plan on Safety and Environmental Protection that sets the foundation to improve outcomes in worker safety, integrity of installations, damage prevention, and emergency preparedness and response. We strengthened our regulatory framework, improved the communication of our expectations to regulated companies and made NEB program information and enforcement actions more accessible to the public.

It is the Board’s expectation that a regulated company’s approach to operating is systematic, comprehensive and proactive in managing risks, and that this approach is appropriately integrated into a company’s overall management system throughout the project lifecycle. To that end, we finalized a Proposed Regulatory Change in 2011 for the Onshore Pipeline Regulations, 1999, which clarifies the NEB’s expectations regarding the development and implementation of management systems. We also developed new pipeline performance measures and reporting requirements. These changes will promote continual improvement of performance with regard to safety, security and environmental protection.

Other significant accomplishments over the past year include key refinements to the Filing Manual, the completion of a review of offshore drilling in the Canadian Arctic, and the release of filing requirements for offshore drilling in the Canadian Arctic. We provided support to the Joint Review Panel that is reviewing the application on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project, we initiated a major review of TransCanada’s tolls in response to a restructuring proposal filed by TransCanada and alternatives proposed by intervenors, and we announced a public hearing on the cost of pipeline abandonment. The NEB also entered into three new Memoranda of Understanding with other government organizations that will increase efficiencies and improve services for Canadians.

The NEB takes all available actions to protect Canadians and the environment and requires regulated companies to anticipate, prevent, manage and mitigate potentially dangerous conditions associated with their pipelines. We will continue to review all areas of our business to determine where improvements can be made. The NEB is made up of knowledgeable and skilled Board Members and staff who are committed to meeting our mandate on behalf of Canadians.

The original version was signed by
Gaétan Caron
Chair and CEO

Date modified:

2020-09-29