Moratorium on Georges Bank drilling extended
Posted May 13, 2010 03:58:25 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The government is extending the moratorium on oil and gas exploration on Georges Bank.
The three-year extension will expire December 31 2015, giving the province more time to explore the scientific and environmental impacts of allowing drilling on the rich fishing grounds.
“The scientific information that’s available at this point is not sufficient, so we felt that the appropriate thing to do is extend the moratorium,” said Premier Darrell Dexter Thursday.
He says the decision wasn’t reached easily, especially because of the conflict between the environment and the economic benefits it could mean for the cash-strapped province.
The premier says their decision was already clear when that big oil spill hit the Gulf of Mexico and was not a key factor in the process, but he hopes it will provide some valuable lessons.
“We can learn more about the risks involved in these types of projects,” said Dexter. “As well as what safeguards, if any, might be employed to prevent such tragedies in the future.”
Environmentalists and oil industry representatives are both applauding the decision today.
