Statement by Minister of Environment and Energy

Environment and Energy Minister Jamie Ballem issued the following statement today regarding news coverage of the upcoming CBC television Disclosure segment on Meteor Creek.

"It is the mandate of the Government of Prince Edward Island to encourage economic development in the province. When a company expresses an interest in investing in the province, it is our job to encourage that for the benefit of Prince Edward Islanders.

"The Province's Energy and Minerals Division is responsible for administering the exploration and development of oil and natural gas and mineral resources in Prince Edward Island. That means the division issues permits for companies to explore for oil and/or natural gas; ensures that workplans satisfy the requirements of the PEI Oil and Natural Gas Act; and receives and maintains logs of data from exploratory wells. The division is not responsible for reporting on the status of drilling. In fact, information on the status of drilling belongs to the company and the PEI Oil and Natural Gas Act requires that it be kept confidential for a period of at least one year following the completion of drilling.

"However, when concerns about the project at Bear River were brought to the attention of the Energy and Minerals Division, staff notified the appropriate authority which is the PEI Securities Section. As a result, investigations have since been undertaken by the RCMP and the Ontario Securities Commission.

"Staff of the Energy and Minerals Division were interviewed for the CBC Disclosure story and provided these facts."