On March 5, 2020, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada announced it is conducting a federal environmental assessment for the proposed BHP Canada Exploration Drilling Project, located approximately 350 kilometres offshore, northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
As proposed, the project would allow the proponent, over an eight-year period, to determine the presence, nature, and quantities of potential hydrocarbon resources in the exploration areas. The agency invites the public and Indigenous groups to comment on the potential environmental effects of the project and the proposed measures to prevent or mitigate those effects as described in the proponent’s summary of the Environmental Impact Statement.
This is the second of three opportunities for the public to comment on the environmental assessment of the project. Written comments in either official language will be accepted until April 4, 2020.
Comments can be submitted online by visiting the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 80174). All comments received will be published online as part of the project file.
For further information on the project, the review process and alternative means of submitting comments, click here.
As a next step, the agency will prepare the draft Environmental Assessment Report and the potential environmental assessment conditions for the project. The public will be invited to comment on these documents during a final public comment period on this project.
