Critics are calling for the provincial government to hold a public inquiry into offshore oil and gas development.
The Campaign to Protect Offshore Nova Scotia, also wants a moratorium placed on all exploratory drilling until that process is complete.
The group also wants a public meeting.
Spokesperson Marilyn Keddy says Nova Scotians need to hear clearly from the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board about their rationale behind project reviews and licensing process.
She says the Petroleum Board is dominated by people associated with the oil and gas industry.
“It’s acting as both a regulator and a promoter and we see that as a big conflict of interest .”This secretive, divide and conquer approach of unrecorded meetings with individual stakeholders does not meet even the lowest standards of public consultation.”
John Davis of the Clean Ocean Action Committee says the board makes misleading claims.
He says that leads to elected municipal officials coming away with a false impression of the safety of offshore exploration.
Meanwhile, a representative from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board says they’re happy to have that discussion.
Spokesperson Sadie Delaney says they’ve received a letter from CPONS outlining their concerns.
She says their Director of Communications Stacy O’Rourke is currently out of the office but will follow up with the group.
Delaney says they can’t commit the board will meet with the group until that conversation happens sometime next week.
