Minister welcomes comment by federal colleague

Ed Byrne, Minister of Mines and Energy, welcomes the comment of federal Natural Resources Minister, John Efford, that he is not interested in pursuing a merger of the offshore oil and gas regulatory boards which currently exist in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.

Minister Byrne said the provincial government was on record as stating that it was not interested in a merger of the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NOPB) and the Canada-Nova Scotia Petroleum Board as was suggested by Minister Efford�s predecessor.

"The establishment of the C-NOPB was granted under the Atlantic Accord and is protected by the supportive legislation," said Minister Byrne. "As such, this was not a unilateral decision for the federal minister nor the federal government.

"However, I am pleased that my federal colleague supports our position and has closed the door on this issue. Now we can focus our attention on addressing the concerns being raised by industry regarding the regulatory process that is now in place. I am committed to working with the federal government to make the regulatory process a more efficient and effective process, to the maximum extent possible, without sacrificing our commitment to safety, benefits and the environment."

Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications (709) 729-5282.

2004 01 22                                        3:30 p.m.