21 August 2002

NOTICE

Publication of Revised Offshore Waste Treatment Guidelines

The Offshore Waste Treatment Guidelines [PDF: on C-NLOPB Web site] are published by the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NOPB), the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NSOPB) and the National Energy Board (NEB) and describe minimum standards for the treatment and/or disposal of wastes associated with the routine operations of drilling and production installations offshore Canada.

A multi-stakeholder working group chaired by a representative of C-NOPB and with membership from the staff of the three Boards, other government departments, industry and the public undertook a review of the existing Guidelines, last published in 1996.

A draft of the revised Guidelines was released in February 2002 for public comment, and was further modified in consideration of comments that were received. The three Boards now have approved the present document.

The working group's review considered results of environmental effects monitoring programs offshore eastern Canada, and in other areas to the degree appropriate, and the present state of the art in the minimization, treatment and disposal of offshore drilling and production wastes. Additional information on the matters considered is provided in the backgrounder.

Detailed information on the conduct of the review is available on the C-NOPB Web site at http://www.cnlopb.nl.ca. Information not available electronically may be viewed at the offices of any of the three Boards.

Questions on the new Guidelines may be directed to the three Boards as follows: