Offshore Alliance on Impending Ministerial Decision on a Proposed Offshore Oil & Gas Licence

Statement from the Offshore Alliance on the Impending Ministerial Decision on a Proposed Offshore Oil and Gas Licence (Full Title)

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Media Statement: For Immediate Release November 29, 2023

The Offshore Alliance, made up of environmental, community, fishing groups and grassroots leaders, is calling on the federal and provincial governments to update Nova Scotians on a proposed new oil and gas exploration licence off the coast of Nova Scotia. Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables and Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal Minister of Nature Resources Canada have until this Saturday, December 2nd to veto or set aside the licence.

The Alliance is anticipating that the Ministers will make the right decision but don’t want to be caught unawares by a negative decision buried in a Friday afternoon or Saturday press release. Instead they would prefer to work collaboratively on renewable energy solutions that will benefit Nova Scotians and coastal communities as well as protect ocean life.

The proposed licence is sandwiched between Sable Island and the Gully Marine Protected Area, home to endangered Northern Bottlenose Whales. The area is also under consideration for future wind development.

A small UK company submitted the bid valued at $1.5 million in work expenditures over six years. If inflation is taken into account, this may be the smallest bid in the history of the Nova Scotia offshore.

Global climate talks are starting Thursday morning in Dubai. The Offshore Alliance can not imagine a scenario where it would be seen as climate smart for Canada or Nova Scotia to approve new oil and gas exploration and drilling.

The Alliance looks forward to a positive decision and working with all levels of government including other organizations and grassroots leaders to protect the marine environment and to ensure that the offshore wind industry develops in a way which accommodates and respects existing ocean users, such as the fishery.

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For more information, contact: Media@sierraclub.ca