Marine Pollution Bulletin

special issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin to be edited by Dr Douglas A. Wolfe of NOAA.

Dr Edward Goldberg, Scripps, gave the Symposium's opening keynote address, the basic premise of which was that enough scientific information is available on the use and effects of tributyl tins to make sound manage- ment decisions. Dr Goldberg made his point by discuss- ing the three types of information prominent in the decision-making forum: essential, excess, and extran- eous or irrelevant information. Other keynote addresses were given by Dr John Ryther, Harbor Branch; Dr Charles Osterberg, Department of Energy; Noel Brown, United Nations Environmental Programme; and Clifton Curtis, Oceanic Society. Dr Ryther spoke on the benefi- cial uses of wastes in the ocean, Dr Osterberg on the ocean as the preferred disposal medium for many wastes, Mr Brown on the UNEP Regional Sea's approach to international ocean management, and Mr Curtis on the London Dumping Convention's focus on radioactive waste disposal.

Canadian Oil Exploration

A two year seismic survey programme on the Canadian west coast may proceed, but there should be no drilling until further environmental risk information has been obtained. Drilling also should not be within 20 km of land to minimize potential impacts on other resources from an oil well blowout. There were yet other recom- mendations on environmental management and a com- pensation programme in the report of the West Coast Offshore Exploration Environmental Assessment panel released in April. The interested provincial and federal government agencies are now examining the report with intent to decide whether an existing moratorium on oil exploration in the area should be lifted.

DEREK ELLIS

Offshore Exploration Report

In June 1984, the Canadian Federal and Provincial Ministers of Environment appointed a five-member Environmental Assessment Panel to conduct a public review of the environmental and related socio-economic effects of a potential renewal of a programme of petro- leum exploration off the west coast of Canada. The area includes British Columbia coastal waters between 50* 40' N and 54* 40' N, covering the the northern end of Vancouver Island to the B.C./Alaska border, north of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Geological Survey of Canada estimates offshore recoverable reserves of 266x 109 m 3 (9.4 TCF) gas and 38x 106 m 3 (241 million barrels) oil in this area.

The report from the five-member panel, made public on 29 April 1986, concludes that exploration drilling can proceed in the area, subject to a number of condi- tions and recommendations. The 123 page report was produced in response to the panel's terms of r e f e r e n c e

"to examine the environmental and directly related socio-economic effects of offshore petroleum explora- tion, and to present recommendations on the terms and conditions under which offshore petroleum exploration could proceed in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner". Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. and Petro- Canada Inc. both hold exploration licences in the uffshore areas of the northern B.C. mainland and Queen Charlotte Islands. Petro-Camada, however, withdrew from the environmental review process in early Novem- ber 1984.

The major recommendations of the panel were: • A limited two year seismic survey (airguns only) pro-

gramme proposed by Chevron should be allowed to proceed but that "extensive monitoring and experi- mentation" should be carried out to determine the likely "long term effects of [these] operations on marine biota". Also, until these results are evaluated, no further seismic operations should be permitted.

• Drilling should be prohibited within a 20 km exclusion zone "from any point of land" to minimize any poten- tial impacts associated with routine operational dis- charges or an offshore blowout. The drilling window should also be confined initially to the period from June to October.

• Research programmes should be initiated to improve knowledge of ocean currents and earthquake-induced turbidity flows in the region; to determine the lethal and sub-lethal effects of crude oil on rnigrato D" salmonids; to establish baseline information on sea bird populations in the area; and to improve know'- ledge of native food fisheries.

• Contingency plans should be drawn up by the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans for a fisheries monitoring programme in the event of a blowout. With respect to offshore drilling discharges, the panel

recommends that only chrome-free lignosulphonate muds be used for exploratory drilling and that only pro- ducts containing low to zero h e a ~ metal levels be utilized in drilling mud formulations. To reduce the need to use base oils to free stuck pipe, the panel also recom- mends the use of spiral or straight grooved drill collars. If oit-based muds are to be used, then only mineral (i.e. low toxicity) oils should be considered in conjunction with a closed mud circulation system with "jet washing at the shale shaker and (collection of) the oil".

Other recommendations of the panel relate to the socio-economic effects of routine operations; the ability of the operator to mount a relief drilling operation in the event of a blowout; the establishment of a government compensation policy relating to loss, or damage, to

property, income and property resources; and the estab- lishment of a West Coast Offshore Petroleum Environ- mental Coordinating Committee to ensure that these recommendations are implemented during the early stages of offshore activity.

The panel's recommendations will be reviewed by Ms Pat Carney, Federal Energy Minister, and Mr Tony Brummet, Provincial Energy Minister, before a decision is made on lifting the 15 year federal moratorium on offshore drilling on the west coast.

ANDRE W GILLAM

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