Over 25 organizations have signed an open letter asking federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to halt BP Canada’s exploratory drilling on the Scotian Shelf.
That includes groups like David Suzuki Foundation, the Bay of Fundy Inshore Fisherman’s Association, Greenpeace Canada, Maritime Fishermen’s Union, Local 9 South West Nova Scotia, and the Sierra Club Canada Foundation.
The Council of Canadians organized the letter after a spill of drilling mud occurred at the Seadrill West Aquarius last week.
Robin Tress, with the council, believes the full risks of the project were not considered before it was given approval.
She says BP didn’t calculate for things like wave heights on the North Atlantic – an argument also made by the Clean Oceans Action Committee.
The nearest capping stack which could be used in the case of a blowout is also two weeks away in Norway.
“The well BP is drilling right now is ten thousand feet below the surface of the ocean, so it’s under ten thousand feet of water and then they want to drill under several thousand feet of rock – those pressures are unbelievable,” says Tress.
The well BP Canada has proposed for the site on the Scotian Shelf is in twice the depth of water as the Macondo well where the Deepwater Horizon disaster took place in 2010 – Oil flowed from that well for 87 days.
At the time of the accident, the rig was leased to BP.
Tress says there are areas in the Gulf of Mexico that are still not fish-able and that a spill could potentially damage Georges Bank or the Bay of Fundy here due to the way the tides work.
When it comes to oversight of the energy sector, Tress believes ties are too close to the industry.
“What we’re finding over and over again with the energy industry at large and in Nova Scotia with the offshore industry that our governments are actively poses to our other industries like fisheries.”
The Canada Offshore Petroleum Board has suspended drilling for now but Tress is worried about what happens if it starts again.
She says they’re also concerned about what kind of effect drilling mud has on the sea floor as it is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom.
Both the Town of Lunenburg and Mahone Bay recently sent their own letters to federal departments asking for public consultation and a re-evaluation of the approval process for offshore drilling.
Edit: A previous version of this story stated that CNSOPB doesn’t have a relief well plan. CNSOPB does have one which is available to read online. Acadia News apologizes for the error.
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca
