Science Response 2014/032

Science Review of the Net Environmental Benefits Analysis of Dispersant Use for Responding to Oil Spills from Oil and Gas Facilities on the Newfoundland Grand Banks

Context

In December 2013, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) submitted the report, entitled “Net Environmental Benefit Analysis of Dispersant Use for Responding to Oil Spills from Oil and Gas Facilities on the Newfoundland Grand Banks” to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB).  On February 7, 2014, the Fisheries Protection Program of the Ecosystems Management Branch in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region requested that DFO Science undertake a review of this document.

A DFO Science Response Process (SRP) was undertaken with the objective to review and provide comment on the document regarding the suitability of using dispersants in responding to spills of crude oil from production and drilling installations on the Newfoundland Grand Banks.

Science expertise within the Newfoundland and Labrador Region was solicited and participants provided a review of the report which was collated before a draft of the prepared response underwent a group evaluation for consensus on the final Science Response.  It should be noted that DFO Science Branch comments were limited to the areas of the report where expertise was available at the time of the review, including that from Ecological Sciences, Groundfish, Shellfish, and Marine Fish Species at Risk Sections.

This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of 15 April 2014 on the Review of the Net Environmental Benefits Analysis of Dispersant Use for Responding to Oil Spills from Oil and Gas Facilities on the Newfoundland Grand Banks.

Complete document (PDF, 261 KB)

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