ARCHIVED – Meeting Summary – 28 January 2011

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Arctic Offshore Drilling Review

Meeting Summary

Date and Location
Date Location
Friday
28 January 2011
9:03 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Inuvialuit Development Corporation Building
Inuvik, NT

Purpose: Introduce the Arctic Offshore Drilling Review to the Inuvialuit Environmental Impact Review Screening Committee (EISC)

Participants
Participants
John Ondrack Chair
John Ryder Vice-Chair, Canada – Yukon Member (on Phone)
Johnny Lennie Canada Member
Albert Ruben Canada – Northwest Territories Member
Eric Cockney Inuvialuit Member
Patrick Gruben Inuvialuit Member
Gaétan Caron Chair and Chief Executive Officer, NEB
David Hamilton Member, NEB
Bharat Dixit Technical Leader Leader, Conservation of Resources, NEB
Pamela Romanchuk Environmental Specialist, NEB

Introductory Remarks:

  • An overview of the Arctic Offshore Drilling Review was provided, including the mandate of the NEB, the events leading up to the Review and the various phases of the Review.
  • The EISC was asked "what questions do you need answers to prior to the NEB considering an application for offshore drilling?"

Dialogue with EISC members:

In response to the question put forward, a number of areas of interest and concern were raised by EISC members, including:

  1. Community Meetings:
    • Could the NEB alleviate community fears regarding possible oil spill
    • NEB having joint meetings with the Hunters and Trappers Committees and with the Community Corporations people at the same time in each community is a good thing as it is a unifying influence instead of a 'divide-and-conquer' approach used by others at previous community meetings.
    • The EISC indicated the processes in the ISR divides people because of the perspective of different interest groups. There is no means to have a common discussion in the IFA.

  2. General:

    • Monitoring and follow-up is critical
    • Some concern was expressed that Marine Mammal Observers (MMO) could be fired if they reported violations
    • NEB as a visible face of the regulator for oil and gas activities is important
    • Stressed importance of infrastructure in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta to deal with a potential of an oil spill from an offshore oil and gas program
    • Good that people have names and faces. Provides a level of comfort. Keep the lines of communication open.
    • Discussion around cumulative effects and where to draw the line.
    • People world-wide are watching what is being considered for the Beaufort Sea

Concluding Remarks:

  • Parties thanked each other for making the time to share information on the Arctic Offshore Drilling Review.
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