Question No. 419 Ms. Kirsty Duncan: With respect to the risk of corrosion and spills and other safety concerns arising from the transport of bitumen in pipelines, and to government action to address these risks: (a) how does diluted bitumen compare with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) in terms of (i) abrasive material content, (ii) acid concentration, (iii) sulphur content, (iv) viscosity; (b) to what extent is diluted bitumen more likely than WTI to cause corrosion or erosion in the pipelines through which they respectively flow; (c) ...[+++] what is the composition of diluted bitumen in Canada; (d) what are all of the volatile chemicals, persistent organic pollutants or carcinogenic substances present in diluted bitumen in Canada; (e) in the process of diluting bitumen in Canada, what are the (i) natural gas condensates used, (ii) other petroleum products used; (f) what is the process by which diluted bitumen corrodes pipelines, with specific reference to (i) abrasion, (ii) friction, (iii) high pressure, (iv) settling of sediment, (v) velocity, (vi) sulphur-reducing bacteria, (vii) other significant factors; (g) for all proposed or existing National Energy Board (NEB)-regulated pipelines, what is (i) the amount of hard sediment passing through the pipeline annually, (ii) the average pressure, (iii) the average temperature; (h) what, if any, (i) research, (ii) action, (iii) investment has the government undertaken to determine whether diluted bitumen can flow safely through pipelines; (i) what, if any, (i) research, (ii) action, (iii) investment has the government undertaken to determine whether or not conventional crude should be distinguished from diluted bitumen when setting minimum standards for pipelines; (j) what, if any, (i) research, (ii) action, (iii) investment has the government undertaken to design safety and spill responses and spill liability management capabilities that are appropriate specifically to diluted bitumen; (k) how does a diluted bitumen sp ...

(Return tabled) Question No. 152 Ms. Kirsty Duncan: With respect to the development of unconventional gas resources, including shale, tight and coal bed methane, and its possible impacts on the environment: (a) what, if any, research has the government undertaken regarding the development of unconventional gas resources, (i) what was the scope of this research in the areas of, but not limited to, air quality, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem impacts, economic impacts, occupational risks, public safety concerns, and seismic risks, (ii) what, if any, resources did the government provide for this research, (iii) what, if any, process was e ...[+++]stablished to ensure the independence of the researchers, their research, and their findings, (iv) what, if any, case studies were considered as a part of this research, (v) what, if any, scenarios regarding the development of unconventional gas resources were developed as frameworks for the research, (vi) what economic, environmental and social impacts were identified by this research, (vii) what, if any, priority research areas were identified for further study as a result of this research, (viii) what, if any, departments were involved in this research, (ix) what, if any, action was undertaken to ensure inter-departmental cooperation throughout the research process, (x) what, if any, gaps or weaknesses in the regulatory framework did the research identify; (b) what, if any, research has the government undertaken regarding balancing shale gas' potential contribution to energy security with environmental risks; (c) what are the sources of greenhouse gas emissions associated with unconventional gas; (d) has the government developed a process to determine the overall carbon footprint of shale gas throughout the life cycle of natural gas use, if not, why not, and, if so, (i) what federal departments are involved in this process, (ii) how does the government ensure inter-departmental collaboration on this process, (iii) what is the p ...

4. Member States shall develop and implement all the elements of Marine Strategies referred to in points (a) and (b) of paragraph 2, but in doing so they shall not be required to take specific steps where there is no significant risk to the marine environment, or where the costs would be disproportionate taking account of the risks to the marine environment.

Horizontal initiatives, such as the dialogue between the Commission and the US Office of Management and Budget on general regulatory policy, including: gaining an enhanced understanding on of each other’s regulatory practices, transparency provisions and public consultation, regulatory impact assessment methodologies and risk assessment methodologies; blueprint on identifying resources and mechanisms to promote exchanges of US and European regulatory experts. Sectoral activities in a number of specific areas, such as: pharmaceuticals, auto safety, information and communications technology standards in support of regulations and public p ...[+++]olicies, cosmetics, consumer product safety, enforcement of consumer protection, unfair commercial practices, nutritional labelling, food safety, marine equipment, eco-design, chemicals, energy efficiency, telecommunications and radio communication equipment and medical devices (see MEMO/05/213).

C. highly aware of the ecological danger posed by at least 110 laid-up nuclear submarines with 135 nuclear reactors with spent fuel in 72 submarines whose reactors could poison the Arctic with radioactive material,

The European Commission, on the iniative of Neil Kinnock the Commissioner responsible for Transport, has adopted a proposal on maritime equipment - another vital element in the European Union's policy on Safe Seas. The aim of the proposed legislation is to reduce the risk of accidents and pollution of the environment.