A Framework for Effective Environmental Regulation in Newfoundland and Labrador's Offshore Oil and Gas Sector: Applying Lessons from the Offshore Helicopter Safety Inquiry

摘要

The tragic crash of the Sikorsky S‐92A helicopter on March 12, 2009, focused public attention on the need forudimproved regulation of workers’ safety in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore while also raising questionsudabout the adequacy of the regulatory regime surrounding environmental impacts. Safety risks are great in theudoffshore and so are environmental risks—the BP Deepwater Horizon drill rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico onudApril 20, 2010, which took nearly five months to seal and resulted in worker deaths and the contamination ofudthousands of hectares of ocean, is yet another stark reminder of this fact.udOn the basis that worker safety and environmental protection are not independent, we recommend theudestablishment of an independent Environmental Authority, similar to the proposal of an independent SafetyudAuthority. The Environmental Authority would have three branches: 1) Offshore Waste TreatmentudGuidelines Compliance, 2) Emergency Response, and 3) Environmental Effects Monitoring ProgramsudApproval and Oversight.