Organization Profile - Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

The Board is the independent joint agency of the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia responsible for the regulation of petroleum activities in the Nova Scotia Offshore Area, including: the health and safety for offshore workers, protection of the environment during offshore petroleum activities, management and conservation of offshore petroleum resources, compliance with the provisions of the Accord Acts that deal with Canada-Nova Scotia employment and industrial benefits, issuance of licences for offshore exploration and development, and resource evaluation, data collection, curation and distribution.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-7.8/page-3.html#h-8

The Board shall consist of five members. Two members of the Board are to be appointed by the Federal Government, two by the Provincial Government and the Chairperson of the Board is to be appointed by both the Federal Government and the Provincial Government.

Each government may appoint one alternate member to act as a member of the Board in the absence or incapacity of any of the members of the Board appointed by that government.

Notwithstanding the above, any member or alternate member may be appointed by both the Federal Government and the Provincial Government.

Not more than two members of the Board may be public servants and of those two members, not more than one may be appointed by each government.

The Chairperson of the Board shall not be a public servant.

The Chairperson shall be appointed for a term of six years to hold office during good behaviour but may be removed for cause. The Chairperson is eligible for reappointment.

The two members (other than the Chairperson) to be appointed by each government, are appointed for a term of six years. The members are also eligible for reappointment.

Any member who is not a public servant holds office during good behaviour, but may be removed for cause. Any member who is a public servant holds office during pleasure.

The Board shall designate a member to act as Chairperson of the Board during any absence or incapacity of the Chairperson or vacancy in the office of Chairperson, and that person, while acting as Chairperson, has and may exercise all of the powers and perform all of the duties and functions of the Chairperson.

 

·         There shall be a Chief Executive Officer of the Board who

o    (a) where both the Federal Government and the Provincial Government appoint the Chairperson as Chief Executive Officer, is the Chairperson of the Board; or

o    (b) in any other case, is to be appointed by the Board by means of an open competition.

 

The Board shall designate a person to act as Chief Executive Officer during any absence or incapacity of that Officer or vacancy in the office of Chief Executive Officer and that person, while acting as Chief Executive Officer, has and may exercise all the powers and perform all of the duties and functions of that office.

All members of the Board shall be subject to conflict of interest guidelines established jointly by the Federal Minister and Provincial Minister and are not subject to any conflict of interest guidelines established by the Federal Government. Not more than two members of the Board may, during the term of office of those members on the Board, be public servants and of those two members, not more than one may be appointed by each government. The Chairman of the Board shall not, during the term of office as Chairman, be a public servant.

The two governments shall agree on the selection of the Chairperson, and, at times, the selection of members.

Three members of the Board constitute a quorum of the Board. Where, in the absence of unanimous agreement, a vote is required to be taken in respect of a decision of the Board, the decision shall be made on the basis of a majority vote of the members of the Board.