Dear Editor:
Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper has granted Shell Oil permission to drill for oil off the coast of Nova Scotia, specifically in the Shelburne Basin near major fishing grounds. Nearby is the Sable Island National Park Reserve, where the world’s largest breeding area of grey seals is located.
Approval of Shell’s application would be a great risk to the Nova Scotia fishery and to the colony of grey seals were a blowout to occur.
It would take 21 days for emergency equipment located 5,000 kilometres away in Norway and South Africa to arrive in order to cap the blowout.
Shell has applied not to have emergency equipment readily available, to save a few pennies.
It is now up to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) to make a final decision on the approval of Shell’s application.
However, the CNSOPB’s neutrality is suspect.
Harper’s Conservative government has appointed a long-time Shell executive to the board. Douglas Gregory worked with Shell for 30 years, opening the company’s offshore division in Nova Scotia. He then did a stint at Canada’s oil lobby association (CAPP) before retiring in 2003.
This corporate cronyism is unacceptable and it puts our Atlantic coast at risk and another illustration of Harper’s disregard for the environment.
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board MUST reject Shell’s application.
Dan Parker
Osoyoos, B.C.
