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.