ABSTRACT

Early Canadian frontier exploration (from 1955 for onshore drilling and from 1966 for offshore) caused insignificant public concern. The 1967-68 Torrey Canyon tanker and Santa Barbara disasters roused public opinion and governments. In Canada, from 1969 to 1970, Arctic gas blowouts, a tanker disaster, and damage to the Manhattan exacerbated concerns, and resulted in new environmental regulatory constraints.

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Since 1970, the Arctic Petroleum Operations' Association has learned to operate safely with environmental responsibility. It studied the physical environment for design criteria, and the biological and human environment to ameliorate impact. APOA's research projects covered sea ice, permafrost, sea bottom, oil spills, bird and mammal migration, fish habitat, food chains, oceanography, meteorology, hunters'/trappers' harvests, etc. In 1971, Eastcoast Petroleum Operators' Association and Alaska Oil and Gas Association followed APOA's cooperative research model. EPOA studies stressed icebergs and fisheries. Certain research was handled by the Canadian Offshore Oil Spill Research Association. By the mid-eighties these associations had undertaken $70,000,000 of environmentally oriented research, with equivalent additional work by member companies on specific needs, and similar sums by federal agencies often working with industry on complementary research. The frontier associations then merged with the Canadian Petroleum Association, already active environmentally in Western Canada.

Working with government and informing environmental interest groups, the public, natives, and local groups (fishermen, hunters, trappers, etc.), most Canadian frontier petroleum operations proceeded with minimal delay and environmental disturbance. Nevertheless, perceived potential environmental or fisheries disturbance led to moratoria on Georges Bank, the West Coast, and Lancaster Sound, and slowed Arctic drilling, production, or pipeline plans.

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