On the East Coast of Canada, there has been reliance on the EA and permitting processes and compliance monitoring to the Offshore Waste Treatment Guidelines to protect the environment during exploratory drilling. [...] Some of these a priori issues included: - Effects of the cuttings pile on the benthos, - Effects of drilling mud in the benthic boundary layer on scallops, - Comparison of effects of water based, oil based and synthetic based drilling mud, - Effects of mud and cuttings on deep sea coral, - Effects of the presence of the platform on birds, - Effects of the exclusion zone on fisheries, - Effects of [...] Given the inadequacies of using chemical analyses as a measure of fish health and given that population level measures are both very expensive and unreliable for detecting change in the absence of major population level effects, there is increasing emphasis on use of biochemical and/or histopathological indicators of chemical stress to obtain an appreciation of the degree and severity of any poten [...] Given regulatory and socio-economic concerns about potential impacts on fish and fisheries, a key component of the study was to "assess any potential impacts of exploratory drilling on the health and productivity of finfish and shellfish and recommend monitoring approaches and techniques if required". [...] During the drilling of the top hole sections, the riser is not in place and drilling mud and cuttings (or sediments) from the top part of the hole are discharged from the hole to the seabed.

The main goal of this study was to develop a strategy for monitoring environmental effects at a single exploratory offshore well on the east coast. Work carried out in the study consisted of consultations with scientists, regulators, & stakeholders; reviews of regulatory regimes; toxicity results relevant to exploratory activities; and development of a decision tree for determining when & how to conduct environmental effects monitoring (EEM). The study report first presents background on potential issues related to the environmental impacts of exploratory drilling, the characteristics of typical exploratory drill rigs & drilling muds, the regulatory regime in Canada & elsewhere, and the biological & other effects of drilling. It then summarizes EEM programs & their results for exploratory wells on the Scotian Shelf & Grand Banks; outlines EEM issues of concern for the Newfoundland & Nova Scotia offshore, and discusses issue similarities & differences between the two areas; and draws brief conclusions on the application of production EEM experience to exploratory drilling EEM. Finally, an EEM decision process based on three scenarios appropriate to the east coast is presented, along with recommended study designs to address the scenarios.

Offshore oil and gas drilling operations take place in some of the world's most biologically productive oceanic waters. An ongoing concern related to the development of this industry is that exposure to contaminants from waste discharges may cause ill effects on organisms and their habitat. Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) programs are undertaken to verify environmental impact assessment predictions, to detect any unforeseen effects, and to help identify cause-effect relationships. EEM has been carried out worldwide for many offshore developments, and much has been learned about the fate of drilling and production contaminants and their biological effects. EEM programs have rapidly evolved in response to new knowledge on the transport, fate, and effects of potential contaminants; changes in regulatory requirements; and improved impact assessment technologies and statistical approaches for data interpretation. In May 2003, an international group of scientists, environmental managers, and industry representatives shared their expertise and new knowledge at the Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Effects Monitoring Workshop. The participants reviewed the status of current offshore oil and gas EEM programs and identified future research needs to advance our understanding of the impacts of the offshore oil and gas industry. This book represents a selected number of peer-reviewed papers from workshop participants, covering a range of topics including regional experience from past and ongoing EEM programs; environmental management issues such as risk assessment and decision-making processes; the development of predictive risk assessment models; and new approaches and technologies formonitoring potential alterations in benthic, pelagic, and tropospheric ecosystem components. This book will be of use to scientists, environmental managers, regulators, and industry representatives, as well as members of the general public wishing to improve their understanding on the application of offshore oil and gas EEM programs for the protection of our ocean environment and its resources.