News Release Archive
NEWS RELEASE (CNS912) -->> NATURAL RESOURCES--SCOPING SESSIONS COMPLETED NATURAL RESOURCES--SCOPING SESSIONS COMPLETED ----------------------------------------------------------------- The completion of the Nova Scotia portion of scoping sessions into the proposed Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline project, is a significant milestone towards development of Nova Scotia's natural gas, Natural Resources Minister Eleanor Norrie said today. The scoping sessions are designed to give the federal/provincial review panel an understanding of the types of issues that will be raised during planned hearings into the pipeline project, as well as the onshore and offshore facilities. "There has been a lot of streamlining in this process," Mrs. Norrie said. "First, all of the federal/provincial regulatory authorities were combined into one panel, making the review less cumbersome. Additionally, the panel has just announced that hearings concerning the offshore and onshore facilities and the pipeline project, have been combined. This means one hearing, less time and in a project of this magnitude, time is money." Partners in the natural gas project must have gas flowing through the pipeline by the fall of 1999 to take advantage of markets in the United States. "Significant delays in the regulatory process will put the project in serious peril," the minister said. "For that reason, and with so much at stake, I am really pleased to see the review process reach this stage." The Maritimes Northeast proposal plans a route through New Brunswick and then on to markets in the United States. The joint panel conducting the scoping sessions wrapped up the Nova Scotia leg of the sessions this week, and will hold several in New Brunswick over the next few days. The sessions are a precursor to detailed hearings which are expected to start in April. "In the history of Nova Scotia's offshore, we have never progressed this far," said Mrs Norrie. "I believe that, finally, we will see tremendous benefit from the development of Nova Scotia's offshore resources and this, coupled with a balanced provincial budget, will put us in a very enviable position." -30- Contact: Dianne Coish 902-424-4426 trp Dec. 6, 1996 - 2:50 p.m.