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ReviewboardapprovesFortunesNICOmineTlichogovernmentstilldecidingwhetherornottogivethego-aheadIndustryMining7TuesdayFebruary52013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheEnvironmentalIm-pactReviewBoardEIRBnisheditsreviewofthe140-kmInuviktoTuktoyak-tukHighwaylastweekap-provingtheprojectsolongasthedevelopers-theHam-letofTuktoyaktukTownofInuvikandtheterrito-rialgovernment-adheretoconditionsdesignedtoprotectwildlife.AccordingtothereviewpanelestablishedbytheCanadianEnvironmen-talAssessmentAgencyCEAAandtheInuvial-uitEIRBinMarch2011tocompletetheenvironmentalreviewprocessthoughtheprojectwillgeneratesig-nificantsocioeconomicbenefitsfortheInuvialuitSettlementRegionitwillalsohaveimpactsontheenvironmentthatmustbemitigated.Theprojectunderreviewincludedallactivitiesandinfrastructureassociatedwiththeconstructionop-erationandmaintenanceoftheall-weathergravelroadway.TheyincludeimpactsonhabitatandwildlifesuchascaribouandgrizzlybearspeciesofgreatimportancetoInuvialuitthereviewboardsfinalreportsaid.Thepanelhasalsodeter-minedthatimpactswillresultfromhighwaycon-structionandaggregateex-tractionactivitiesincludingIEMOCshouldbeintegratedwiththeco-managementframeworkestablishedbytheInuvialuitFinalAgree-mentIFAandmustbeestablishedandadequatelyfundedpriortotheinitia-tionofmajorconstructionactivitiesinordertoprovideReviewboardapprovesInuvik-TukhighwayPanelrecommendssettingupindependentoversightcommitteeByMEAGANWOHLBERGFortuneMineralsNICOcobalt-gold-bismuth-coppermineintheheartoftheTlichoregionreceivedtheregulatorygreenlightlastweekfromthereviewboardbuttheTlichogovernmentisstillmakingupitsmindonwhetherornottorecommendtheprojectsap-provaltothefederalminister.ForthersttimeanAb-originalgovernmenthasasayalongsidethereviewboardinwhetherornottogiveare-sourcedevelopmentprojectthego-aheadthoughAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelop-mentAANDCMinisterJohnDuncanwillstillgetthenalsayontheopen-pitandunder-groundmineprojectlocated50kmnortheastofWhati.Itstherstmajordevelop-menttobeproposedandsub-jecttoenvironmentalassess-mentonTlichoterritorysincethegroupslandclaimandself-governmentagreementcameintoeffect.Wearenowinadecision-makingpositionalongsidetheGovernmentofCanadaforthersttimeinhistoryGrandChiefEddieErasmusstatedinanewsreleaseaddingthattheTlichogovernmentwillbeusingitsuniquepositiontoconsiderwhetherornottoadopttherecommendationreferitbacktothereviewboardforfurtherconsiderationorrejectit.Tlichogovernmentspokes-personHenryZoetoldTheJournaltheboardsreportisstillbeingreviewed.Nodecisionhasbeenmadeyet.Rightnowthereportisbeingscrutinizedrighttilthelastlettertoseewhatitmeanstous.Ourworkinggroupisre-viewingitandtheyllbemak-ingrecommendationstotheCECChiefExecutiveCoun-cilandthenCECwillmakethenalrecommendationonthereporthesaid.ThereviewboardapprovedtheprojectonJan.25withmea-suresdesignedtomitigateitsdemonstratedpotentialforen-vironmentalandsocialimpacts.TheReviewBoardcon-cludedthatwhiletheNICOProjecthasthepotentialtocausesignicantadverseim-pactstotheenvironmentinclud-ingwaterwildlifeandculturalvaluesthemeasuresithasrec-ommendedtotheMinisterwillensurethatnosignicantad-verseimpactswillresultfromthedevelopmentRichardEd-jericonchairoftheMackenzieValleyEnvironmentalImpactReviewBoardMVEIRBconcludedinthereport.Measuresincluderequire-mentsthattheproponentprovethecapabilitiesofitsproposedwetlandwaterlteringpro-cessinstallareverseosmosissystemofwatertreatmentandemploydustsuppressiontech-niquestoprotectthesurround-ingwatershed.Fortuneisalsorequiredtofundexpertpeerreviewpanelsforitsco-disposalfacilityandproposedwetlandsconstruc-tiontheboarddecided.Boththree-memberpanelswillin-cluderepresentativesfromthedevelopertheTlichogovern-mentandtheWekeezhiiLandandWaterBoard.Italsomustdevelopapro-tectionplanforwildlifeandwildlifehabitatalongwithawildlifeeffectsmonitoringprogramthatincludebothsci-enceandtraditionalknowledgeandinvolveTlichoresidents.Theboardhasalsodemandedtheformationofaworkinggrouptodeveloparesponseframeworkformanagingcu-mulativeimpactsonbarrengroundcaribouintheareawithboththeNWTandTli-chogovernmentsasco-chairs.ThisresponseframeworkwillinformtheBathurstCari-bouManagementPlanandtheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesBarrenGroundCari-bouManagementStrategyandprovidedirectionforFortuneMineralstomanageitsprojectrelatedtocumulativeeffectsoncariboustatetheboardsrec-ommendations.ParticipantsinthisworkinggroupshouldincludetheWekeezhiiRe-newableResourceBoardFor-tuneMineralsYellowknivesDeneandNorthSlaveMetisAlliance.FurthermoretomitigatesignicantadverseimpactsonculturalvaluesandtraditionaluseFortunemustnanciallysupportanon-the-landculturecampintheHislopLakeareatobeusedbyharvestersfami-liesandtheTlichogovernmentforresearcheducationandlanduseactivitiesthroughouttheconstructionandoperationphasesofthemine.Fortunewillberequiredtolltheopenpitminewithineightto14yearsaftertheshut-downofmineoperations.backtoworkintherealFarNorth.WehavenumeroustrainedpeopleinourregionwhoarereadytobeputtoworkonthishighwayRolandsaid.ThelatestinstallmentinGNWTfundinggiventotheprojectwas2millionduringthelastLegislativesessioninNovember.Thatmoneywenttowardcom-pletingtheenvironmentalassessmentandengineer-ingstudies.Thatfundingbroughtthetotalspenttodateonthepro-posedhighwayprojectupto11.5millionjustunderhalfofthe23millionallocatedforhighwaysandroadsintheNWTforlastsessionscapitalplan.Thehighwayisexpectedtocostbetween200-300millionwithupto150mil-lionnancedbythefederalgovernment.FundingfortheGNWTsportionoftheconstructionwillcomefromanexpectedincreaseintheterritorysfederalborrow-inglimit.InfrastructureHighwaysInthelongtermtherewillbebenetsfromincreasedtourismoilandgasde-velopmentandareductioninthecostofliving.NWTPremierBobMcLeodconcernsthepanelhasrec-ommendedanadaptivemanagementapproachbeadoptedrequiringtheimplementationofacom-prehensiveEnvironmentalMonitoringandManagementPlanfortheareaaswellasestablishinganIndependentEnvironmentalMonitoringandOversightCommitteeIEMOC.Theoperationsoftheoversightonallaspectsofprojectdevelopmentandtoprovideavehicleforcom-munityinvolvementinproj-ectmonitoringactivitiesthepanelsrecommenda-tionsstate.ThepanelalsoidentiedtheworstcasescenarioforpresentorfutureInu-vialuitwildlifeharvestinglossesasrequiredbytheIFAtakingbotheconomicandenvironmentallossesintoaccount.Thepanelhasdeter-minedthatanaccidentbasedonafueltruckrolloveronthehighway...istheappro-priateworst-casescenarioforthehighwayprojectthereportstates.Thepanelalsondsthatthetotalcostorvalueforthisworst-casescenariois1.05milliondollars.TheGNWTapplaudedtheprojectsapprovalreiteratingitstoutedbenetsrangingfromjobsandtrainingforresidentsoftheInuvialuitregiontobeingamarchfor-wardfornationalandArcticsovereigntyasthelastlinkinahighwaysystemcon-nectingtheArcticcoasttotherestofCanada.CompletingtheMack-enzieValleyHighwayfromWrigleytoTuktoyaktukwillbenetthewholeterritoryanddriveeconomicgrowthinInu-vikandTuktoyaktukNWTPremierBobMcLeodsaidinapressreleaselastweek.Inthelongtermtherewillbebenetsfromincreasedtour-ismoilandgasdevelopmentandareductioninthecostofliving.BothTuktoyaktukMayorMervinGrubenandInuvikMayorFloydRolandcel-ebratedthedecisionstat-ingtheircommunitiesarereadytogettoworkontheproject.ThishasbeenalongtimecomingGrubensaid.LetushelpmakeDiefenbakersvisionofaroadtoresourcescombinedwithPrimeMin-isterHarpersgoalofn-ishingthehighwaysystemfromcoasttocoasttocoastarealityandgetourpeopleimpactsonthesensitiveter-raincrossedbythehighway.TheseimpactsalongwithanypotentialimpactstotheHuskyLakesmustinthepanelsviewbecarefullymitigatedmonitoredandmanaged.InordertoaddressthoseImageFortuneMinerals