BILL NO. 59

(as introduced)

5th Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
62 Elizabeth II, 2013

Government Bill

Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources
Accord Implementation (Nova Scotia) Act
(amended)

The Honourable Charlie Parker
Minister of Energy

First Reading: April 24, 2013

(Explanatory Notes)

Second Reading: April 25, 2013

Third Reading: May 6, 2013 (LINK TO BILL AS PASSED)

Clause 1 adds a definition of "Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada".

(a) striking out the period at the end of clause (w) and substituting a semicolon; and

(b) adding immediately after clause (w) the following clause:

(x) "Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada" means Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada as described in Schedule 2 to the Canada National Parks Act.

134A No person shall carry on any work or activity related to the drilling for petroleum, including exploratory drilling for petroleum, in Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada or within one nautical mile seaward of its low-water mark.

135A (1) If the Board receives an application for an authorization with respect to a work or activity proposed to be carried on in Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada, it shall, within sixty days after the day on which it received the application, provide a copy of the application to the Parks Canada Agency.

(2) The Parks Canada Agency shall, within sixty days after the day on which it received the copy of the application, advise the Board in writing about any potential impact of the proposed work or activity on the management of the surface of Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada.

(3) Before deciding whether to issue the authorization, the Board shall consider any advice that it receives under subsection (2).

(4) If the Board issues the authorization, it may include in it terms and conditions, including mitigation or remedial measures, to address the potential impact of the proposed work or activity on the management of the surface of Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada.

4 Section 135A of Chapter 3, as enacted by Chapter 12 of the Acts of 1992 and renumbered as Section 135AA by this Act, is amended by adding immediately after subsection (2) the following subsection:

(3) With respect to Sable Island National Park Reserve of Canada, the surface access rights provided for under this Section are limited to the following:

(a) access to existing wellheads for the purposes of safety and environmental protection;

(b) petroleum exploration activities with a low impact on the environment, including seismic, geological or geophysical programs;

(c) emergency evacuation capacity for offshore workers; and

(d) the operation, maintenance and inspection of emergency facilities, including helicopter landing and fuel storage facilities.

5 This Act comes into force on such day as the Governor in Council orders and declares by proclamation.