Public Notice
Central Ridge Exploration Drilling Project — Public Comments Invited

What is happening?

January 23, 2020 — The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (the Agency) is conducting a federal environmental assessment for the proposed Central Ridge Exploration Drilling Project, proposed by Equinor Canada Ltd., located 375 kilometres offshore, east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Agency invites the public and Indigenous groups to comment on the potential environmental effects of the project and the proposed measures to prevent or mitigate those effects as described in the proponent's summary of the abridged Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The assessment will focus on new information and effects specific to the project and will not reassess information previously approved for the Flemish Pass Exploration Drilling Project located within the same area.

Written comments in either official language will be accepted until February 22, 2020.

How can I participate?

Comments can be submitted online by visiting the project home page on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (reference number 80175). All comments received will be published online as part of the project file.

To view the summary of the abridged Environmental Impact Statement or for more information, visit the Agency's website at canada.ca/iaac. Printed copies are available upon request. More information on the project, the review process and alternative means of submitting comments is also available online.

Follow the Agency on Twitter: @IAAC_AEIC #CentralRidgeExplorationDrilling

The Proposed Project

Equinor Canada Ltd. is proposing to conduct an exploration drilling project within its offshore exploration licences in the Central Ridge Area, located approximately 375 kilometres offshore, east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, in the Atlantic Ocean. As proposed, the Central Ridge Exploration Drilling Project would allow the proponent to determine the presence, nature, and quantities of the potential hydrocarbon resource in exploration licences 1159 and 1160.

The Central Ridge Exploration Drilling Project is located within the same area as Equinor Canada Ltd.'s Flemish Pass Exploration Drilling Project, for which a federal environmental assessment was completed in April 2019. As a result, the summary of the abridged EIS for the Central Ridge Exploration Project does not repeat detailed analysis previously presented in the Flemish Pass Exploration Drilling Project's EIS.

For more information on the Agency's privacy policies, consult the Privacy Notice on its website at canada.ca/iaac.

Document Reference Number: 12

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