Terms of Reference

Review of the Proposed Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Plan for the Deep Panuke Offshore Petroleum Production Operations

Maritimes Region Science Special Response Process (SSRP)

February 2011
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Chairperson: Kristian Curran

Context

Prior to approval of EnCana's Deep Panuke natural gas development project in the offshore of Nova Scotia, a comprehensive study report (CSR) was undertaken pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (refer to Environmental Assessment No. 06-03-21748 on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry for more information). A condition of approval of the CSR was that a monitoring program be developed to track changes in the state of the marine environment that may result from the development and operation of the project. The lead regulatory authority responsible for overseeing that EnCana develops and implements a monitoring program is the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSBOP). As a federal partner with expertise in the marine environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has committed to providing expert advice to the CNSOPB on the marine components of the proposed monitoring program.

On February 4, 2011, Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Environmental Assessment and Major Projects Division (EAMP), Maritimes Region, requested that DFO Science, Maritimes Region, provide advice regarding EnCana’s proposed environmental effects monitoring (EEM) plan for the production operations of the Deep Panuke natural gas development project. The scope of the EEM plan (the plan) includes all components of the development project located in the marine environment: the offshore production field centre (and associated infrastructure) and the offshore-onshore export pipeline into the near-shore marine environment where the pipeline comes ashore. The plan does not include monitoring of terrestrial components, which are covered in other plans. A CSA Special Science Response Process (SSRP) was used due to the short deadline for advice of February 25, 2011. The advice from DFO Science will be provided to the CNSOPB, for consideration in the final version of the EnCana Deep Panuke production operations monitoring plan.

Objectives

The objective of the SSRP is to provide science advice on the following questions:

1. Are the proposed monitoring components, sampling procedures, sampling frequencies, and analyses appropriate for verifying the accuracy of Environmental Assessment predictions of the potential environmental effects associated with operations of the Deep Panuke project? What additions and/or changes can be made to any monitoring component that would improve the monitoring plan?
   
   
2. Are the proposed monitoring components, sampling procedures, sampling frequencies, and analyses appropriate for verifying the effectiveness of mitigation measures that are to be implemented to reduce the potential impacts of operations of the Deep Panuke project on the environment? What additions and/or changes can be made to any monitoring component that would improve the monitoring plan?

Expected Publications

CSAS Terms of Reference
CSAS Special Science Report

Participation

DFO Science Branch
DFO Ecosystem Management Branch