27 August 2015 (Toronto) – Following news that the agency tasked with approving or denying Shell’s controversial deep-water drilling project off Canada’s east coast includes a Tory-appointed official who worked for Shell for decades, Greenpeace Canada Arctic Campaigner Alex Speers-Roesch said:
“This is a shocking example of how the oil industry has captured Canada’s regulatory process. We should not be having the person who opened Shell’s exploration office in Nova Scotia be the same person making the government’s decision on whether and how Shell’s project in this province goes forward, especially when they must decide whether to give Shell a whopping 21 days to cap an underwater oil spill. How can the public have any trust in the regulatory process when the fox is so clearly in the henhouse?
“Oil spills are a serious threat to ecosystems and marine life and the government must guarantee a thorough, reliable and independent review of these drilling plans. Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq has already okayed Shell’s plans to take up to 21 days to cap a blowout, and it’s up to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board to stop this risky proposal. This conflict of interest on the Board makes it hard to believe it will really put public safety ahead of Shell’s interests.”