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What We Heard

Community: Marystown

Directed stakeholder and town hall meetings took place in the community of Marystown on July 4, 2006, with approximately 11 participants in total.

Directed Stakeholder Meeting

The following groups were invited to the directed stakeholder meetings:

• Peter Kiewit
• Burin Harbour Authority.

After formal presentations by Transport Canada and RMRI, the following questions/issues were addressed:

• Representatives of Peter Kiewit (owners/operators of the ship building yard and offshore fabrication facility) are prepared to provide their optimistic ten-year activity forecast for use in the study.
• When responding to the question about how much time would it take for a direct response in the event of an oil spill, the panel informed participants of the extensive infrastructure in the area, such as the oil handling facilities of Whiffen Head, private contractors, the harbour authority and Come by Chance. There is also an emergency response barge in Argentia.
• Participants wondered if Fisheries Products International and fishers in the area had been contacted.
• Some questioned why the study was examining petroleum spills from marine activity since most spills are land based.
• One person asked whether the study has considered any existing oil pollution in the area and the quality of the water? The current study is not addressing this issue. This is a matter under the auspices of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which has several national programs in place to safeguard Canadian waters, the fishing industry and the marine environment.
• Will the study mean an increase in surcharges?

Public Consultation

Following formal presentations by Transport Canada and RMRI, the following questions/issues were addressed:

• There are exploration programs planned for the Laurentian Basin over the next two years. Is the study considering potential offshore oil and gas activity in the Laurentian Basin?
• Three additional studies in the Placentia Bay area will be factored into the south coast study:
  • The feasibility of establishing an LNG terminal,
  • The feasibility of developing a second oil refinery near the Come by Chance facility, and
  • The feasibility of establishing aquaculture operations.
• A question was raised about the involvement of fishers and related organizations in the study since there were no representatives present. The panel responded that a meeting with the provincial fisheries union, FFAW, was being set up in St. John's. There were representatives in Port aux Basques and Burgeo. Other representatives were anticipated at the consultations scheduled for Arnold's Cove, Placentia and St. John's. In addition, Canning and Pitt, a sub-contractor to the study, would be communicating with fishers during the study.
• Comments were made regarding One Ocean's training of fishers to assist in oil spill response, adding to the existing infrastructure.
• One participant indicated that the bay at Marystown could support larger vessels and that there is potential to expand the local shipbuilding and other marine-related industries. However, there was no anticipated business for petroleum products in the area.
• A commercial water company may be opening using Gizbourne Lake.
• There were comments about using pilots in Placentia Bay. This was in response to the recent sinking of a pilot boat. It was confirmed that pilots must be on board all ships entering the bay. Regulated by the pilotage authority, the pilots board the ships south of Red Island.

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