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Consultation Process

Consultation Objectives

The following objectives guided the consultation process:

1. Provide stakeholders with an understanding of the risk and the risk assessment process, and explain that the assessment is being undertaken to provide information for decision-making on how best to manage the risks;
2. Ensure that communication with stakeholders is accurate and balanced;
3. Ensure that stakeholders understand the significance of the study, in terms of the issues being addressed and how it may or may not affect their lives; and,
4. Allow stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

Methods of Consultation

1. Directed stakeholder meetings – Private directed stakeholder meetings were held with targeted stakeholder groups in each community, such as industry or fisher groups, to allow for more detailed discussion and communicate to key stakeholders that their contribution is necessary and respected. This also provided a more private setting for groups wishing to discuss commercial information that may be relevant to the study.
   
   
2. Town hall meetings – An open public meeting was held in each community with presentations about the study. This was then followed by an open discussion with the public in which concerns could be aired and questions addressed.
   
   Immediately prior to the town halls, the public was also invited to visit and review exhibits by Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada/the Canadian Coast Guard, Environment Canada, the Newfoundland Department of Environment and Conservation, as well as by the company that is conducting the study on the Government's behalf, RMRI (Canada) Inc. Each display had a person who could discuss issues relating to the study or the particular exhibit.
   
   Meeting Agenda
   
   
   1. Facilitator Introduction
   2. Transport Canada – Introduction of study and public consultation overview
   3. Transport Canada – Overview of existing oil spill recovery infrastructure on Newfoundland's south coast
   4. RMRI – Focus of study and methodology
   5. Facilitator – Audience input on local issues or developments, already taken place or may take place in the next 10 years, that should be considered in the study, i.e., new industrial developments, environmental factors, studies, etc.
   6. Questions and Answers
      
      
3. E-communications – The Internet and email are powerful tools in a consultation process. The following e-communications were used to foster dialogue and feedback from the public and key stakeholder groups:
   
   
   1. The study website provided information on the study and consultations. Visitors were also invited to provide feedback through the site;
   2. All print materials had email, mail and web information, inviting public feedback;
   3. PDF files of the print materials and the public notice were developed and posted on the website. In addition, the public notice was forwarded to key stakeholders with their emailed invitations. (Stakeholders were also invited through telephone calls and faxes.); and,
   4. The final report will be posted on the website and stakeholders will receive an email invitation to visit the site when the report is ready.

Targeted Stakeholders

In addition to the communications used to inform the public about the public consultations (radio and print advertising, media relations), over 600 invitations were sent to stakeholders from the south coast of Newfoundland and provincial organizations, including representatives from the following:

• Environmental organizations
• Municipalities
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Oil and gas industry
• Marine industry
• Academic organizations
• Government of Canada
• Economic development organizations
• Fire departments and local police
• Industry associations
• Tourism industry
• Fishing industry
• Aboriginal community.

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