Assembly of Mi’kmaq Chiefs ‘extremely concerned’ with mud spill off N.S. coast

The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs is calling for an investigation and more transparency from British Petroleum Canada after 136,000 litres of drilling fluid — also known as “drilling mud” — spilled off the coast near Halifax.

“We want to know how this could happen, what effect it could potentially have on our fisheries, and what they are going to do to address that. Incidents like this are unacceptable in Mi’kma’ki,” said Chief Terrance Paul, fisheries lead for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, in a statement.

READ MORE: Spill of 136,000 litres of drilling mud reported off Nova Scotia coast

According to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB), the “unauthorized discharge” of synthetic-based drilling fluid from BP Canada’s West Aquarius Drilling Unit was reported on Friday.

West Aquarius is currently located about 330 kilometres off the coast of Halifax.

The assembly says they were notified of the leak on Friday. They’re calling the situation “extremely concerning.”

“We want answers from BP Canada,” said Chief Paul.

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CNSOPB spokesperson Stacy O’Rourke told Global News Friday that staff members have been monitoring the situation since it was first reported, and that drilling has since been stopped while the source of the discharge is investigated.

BP Canada has confirmed there was a synthetic drilling mud discharge on Friday, and that they take the incident “very seriously.”

The company would not say how long the substance was leaking before it was discovered and reported.

The Assembly of Mi’kmaq Chiefs says spills and environmental damage have been a “constant concern” with drilling projects happening off our shores.

“The assembly consistently advocates for environmental and resource protections to be put in place with any project happening in our region,” a spokesperson for the assembly said in a statement.

READ MORE: BP Canada gets approval to drill a well off Nova Scotia coast

The assembly is calling for BP Canada and the Nova Scotia government to take “immediate action,” and is demanding that work be halted on the West Aquarius Drilling Unit until their questions and concerns are answered.

CNSOPB gave BP Canada the go-ahead to drill a well off the coast of Nova Scotia back in April.

Dating back to 1999, the board has recorded 16 spills of synthetic drilling mud. Thirteen of those spills were less than 150 litres. The most significant, reported in August 2004, was 354,000 litres.