Has Canada made itself vulnerable to a catastrophe on the scale of the Deepwater Horizon?
An investigation by Joel Ballard indicates there is reason to believe that's exactly what Canada has done.
BP Canada Drilling Off Nova Scotia
Tue, 2018-07-24 18:02
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BP Canada Drilling Off Nova Scotia
Tue, 2018-07-24 18:06
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As a huge BP oil rig began drilling into the Scotian Basin, 300 kilometers off the coast of Nova Scotia, Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna was picking plastic off a beach near Halifax to promote Earth Day 2018.
McKenna had given her stamp of approval to BP's offshore oil exploration earlier that week.
The new BP rig floats near to two crucial habitats. Sable Island National Park Reserve is its closest neighbour sitting 48 kilometers from the drill site, and the Gully Marine Protected Area is 71 kilometers away.
The two ecosystems, home to a vast array of life including northern bottlenose whales, rare corals, and the famed wild horses of Sable Island, are vulnerable to a spill due to their proximity to the site.
Also vulnerable to oil spills, increased underwater noise pollution and the potential of being struck by BP ships, are the few remaining North Atlantic right whales. This docile surface skimmer is already among the most endangered of whale species. The population isn't having babies and at least 17 whales died in Canada and the U.S. last year, many from entanglement with vessels and fishing gear.
Experts are warning of "extinction," and the Canadian government had vowed to take "every possible measure" to protect the whales....
Tue, 2018-07-24 18:08
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Chapter 1
"It brings a chill to my blood"
Dr. Robert Bea, leader of the Deepwater Horizon Study Group and co-founder of the Center for Catastrophic Risk Management says the BP project comes with some alarming risks for Canada that show that lessons from past oil disasters haven't been learned.
“We need to benefit from our painful past,” warned Dr. Bea, referring to BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, where he worked as a post-blowout investigator.
The Macondo well (Deepwater Horizon) spill was the largest marine oil spill in history and is estimated to have leaked around 3.19 million barrels of oil into the ocean for 87 consecutive days.
“Caution is warranted,” urged Dr. Bea.
Would other countries known for strict offshore drilling regulations have green-lighted a proposal like the one approved by Canada?
“No.” Dr. Bea's response is immediate. “And notice how quickly I came to that answer. There’s no way.”.....