INUVIK - Responsibilities and costs of clean up in the face of an oil spill in the Arctic topped the list of concerns found during phase one of the National Energy Board's review of Arctic offshore drilling.

Pictured above in 2005 is the steel drilling caisson used for Devon's winter drilling program in the Beaufort Sea. There is a moratorium on offshore drilling in the Arctic while a review on safety regulations and permitting requirements is completed. - photo courtesy of Devon Canada

An information session on May 17 at Ingamo Hall in Inuvik kicked off the second phase of the review, which gives participants a chance to examine and comment on the information and facts gathered over the past six months.

The most common concerns expressed by Northern communities included clean up methods, costs and responsibilities of a spill; worry for the unique Arctic environment including its currents and ice; inspection and monitoring by the energy board and industry; and an increased clarity of roles within the governments, if a clean-up was required.

The board initiated the review after the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico last year, where up to 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the water over a four-month period.

Inuvik resident Brian Terry expressed concerns during the meeting that the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico could be repeated in the Arctic.

"Why didn't they think about the spill in the Gulf before they started drilling?" Terry asked. "Why didn't the regulations work there?"

Bharat Dixit, chief conservation officer for the NEB, said this was the goal of the review, so that if a spill happened in the Arctic, all proponents would be prepared for just such a circumstance.

"Over time there is a complacency and sometimes it takes major events to shake things up," Dixit said. "We need to anticipate the hazards and have solutions all in place. There are extensive lessons that nations have learned and we have to make sure best practices are put forward."

The first phase resulted in 51,000 pages of information about offshore drilling in the Arctic which specifically addressed concerns about drilling safely while protecting the environment, responding effectively when things go wrong, learnings from other spills and filing requirements that will clarify the board's expectations when companies file for a licence.

Other themes that came from the review included same-season relief well capability, dispersants, spill response capability and infrastructure, training and compensation for residents and wildlife/environmental monitors.

Concerns exist over the lack of training and infrastructure currently available to respond in the Arctic if a spill did happen.

In phase two, the committee doing the review will travel to Whitehorse, Iqaluit and Yellowknife before returning to Inuvik in September for a roundtable meeting.

The roundtable is the final opportunity for people interested to ask questions of experts, offer opinions and provide input on what the filing requirements should be for future applications to drill a well offshore in the Arctic.

Once the roundtable is complete, the board will release a public report that will identify the best practices for regulating offshore drilling.

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