Preventing a Nationally-Significant Oil Spill on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland

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ABSTRACT As the Arctic becomes more heavily populated and more open to commercial shipping operations, the threat of an oil spill increases. On the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, both fixed and mobile oil rigs drill for the region's highly lucrative natural oil resources. This region also happens to be one of the most dangerous shipping areas in the world. The cold Labrador Current travels south from the Arctic bringing with it icebergs calved from the glaciers along the Western Greenland coast. As these icebergs travel south, they intersect directly with the transatlantic shipping lanes following the Great Circle route just south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The cold waters of the Labrador Current interact with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream to create extensive regions of fog with little to no visibility. As the Arctic Ocean becomes more accessible to shipping, vessels will not only transit this region travelling east and west, but also north and south to new production areas in the Arctic. Any vessel entering or exiting the Northwest Passage must transit through this region. An oil spill caused by an explosion on one of the Grand Banks' oil rigs, an allision of an iceberg with one of the rigs, or a collision of a commercial tank vessel with an iceberg are just a few of the possible scenarios that could cause a devastating incident in this region. Pervasive fog limiting aerial and satellite coverage, the diverse seabird, fish, and marine mammal population, and the presence of sea ice and icebergs during more than half of the year would result in one of the most challenging responses in the world. Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers have conducted extensive preparations for an oil spill response in this region. However, a more far-reaching response plan must be created through consultation between government and industry stakeholders, using lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico to prepare for an internationally-significant event. With the opening of the Arctic Ocean and the increase in the shipping and offshore drilling in this area, a comprehensive plan must be developed before an internationally-significant oil spill occurs.