Nova Scotia approves oil exploration lease next to Georges Bank, entrance to Gulf of Maine
Source: Portland Press Herald
Norwegian energy giant Statoil has received approval to explore for oil in an area next to the Georges Bank and the entrance to the Gulf of Maine, raising environmental concerns on both sides of the border.
In a move opposed by fishermen, Canadian authorities have granted the company an exploratory lease for the area 225 miles southeast of Bar Harbor and bordering on the eastern flank of Georges Bank. Environmentalists fear drilling could leave the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Maine susceptible to a catastrophic oil spill.
It would be the closest that exploratory drilling has come to Maine since the early 1980s. Five wells were drilled on the U.S. side of Georges Bank in 1981 and 1982, before U.S. and Canadian moratoriums were put in place to protect the fishing grounds.
Final approval was granted Monday afternoon as a deadline passed for federal and provincial authorities to veto a Nov. 12 recommendation by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, an intergovernmental entity responsible for regulating petroleum activities near the province.
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Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/2015/12/01/nova-scotia-approves-oil-exploration-lease-next-to-georges-bank-entrance-to-gulf-of-maine/
= new reply since forum marked as read
R. Keith MacLeod, Chairman of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board...
"He is active with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) having served as the Canadian Regional Director on the international board as well as chair of the Canadian Section. He is also active with the Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (SPEE). He earned his Diploma in Technology in Mineral Science from what was formerly known as the College of Cape Breton, now Cape Breton University. He earned a Bachelor of Science (Honors) Engineering from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, in Butte, Montana.
Keith is currently on the board of directors for several oil and gas companies; Trilogy Energy Corp., Manitok Energy Inc. and Prairie Storm Energy Corp. He is also on the board of director for ETX Systems Inc. and Switchable Solutions, private technology companies. Keith also serves on the advisory board of the Veschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment at Cape Breton University, Nova Scotia."
The Harper Conservative government stacked this 5-member board in favour of the oil and gas industry...
This final approval was expected, even though enormous numbers of Canadians fought against this decision...But, when did Conservatives give a shit about ordinary life?...
