Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
8/22/2014
The provincial government of Nova Scotia announced late last week that an industrial approval permit will now be required for all carbon capture and storage projects within the province. The move is the first attempt by the government of Nova Scotia to regulate the practice as currently no activity in CCS has been done in the province. The adoption of the regulation is preemptive, Lori Errington, Media Relations Advisor for the Nova Scotia Environment Department told GHG Monitor this week. “[CCS] wasn’t covered at all in the regulations, thus the reason why Nova Scotia added it to our regulations before any such work takes place in our province,” Errington said. “Now any company wanting to do this kind of research or work will have to apply for an industrial approval through Nova Scotia Environment.”
Requiring CCS projects to apply for an industrial approval would allow for the government to assess the projects before any work proceeds in the province. “An industrial approval looks at the potential risks of any activity and specifies terms and conditions that the proponent must follow in order to be approved to do that activity in Nova Scotia. CCS activity is similar to on-shore drilling, so some of the conditions would include dealing with any wastewater, chemical use and storage, etc.,” Errington said. “Nova Scotia adding this to our regulatory regime does not endorse the practice of CCS in any way. Our concern was any activity taking place outside the requirements for regulatory approval.” The addition of CCS regulation in Nova Scotia comes as Carbon Capture and Storage Nova Scotia, a not-for-profit corporation which partners with the Nova Scotia Department of Energy prepares to propose a CCS project in the province, a Nova Scotia Environment Department press release said.
