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EnvironmentRenewableEnergy7TuesdayFebruary262013WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Valentineisalovelyyoungfemalecat.Sheisalwaysplayfulandhertastefulgreywhitecoatisenoughtokeepyouwarmduringthelongwinterseason.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.MoreresearchneededonSahtufrackingMLAsargueEnvironmentOilGasByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheterritorialgovern-mentneedstodoalotmoreresearchonhydraulicfrac-turingforoilandgasbeforethepromised700millionininvestmentstartsrollingintotheSahturegionoverthenextfewyearsMLAsarguedinLegislaturelastweek-in-cludingmakingavisittoanactualfrackingsite.Currentlywedonthavethecapacitytodealwiththewastewaterfromdrillingandthelong-termimpactsofdisposablewellsareun-knownSahtuMLANormanYakeleyasaidlastweekintheHousenotingthatpipe-linesneedtwinningroadsneedbuildingandcommu-nitiesneedpreparingbeforeaboom.Wecanguesstheim-pactsofhydraulicfractur-ingbasedonwhatweseeinotherplacesbutwecannotpredictthereallong-termimpactsonthelandtheani-malsthelakesandriversoftheSahtuhesaid.Membersoftheeconomicdevelopmentandinfrastruc-tureEDIstandingcommit-teewentonafrackingtourwithIndustryTourismandInvestmentITIMinisterDavidRamsayandYake-leyalastyearmeetingwithregulatorsliketheNationalEnergyBoardenvironmen-talgroupsandindustryinAlbertaandBC.ButasWeledehMLABobBromleywasquicktopointoutThursdaythattourneverincludedavisittoanyfrack-ingsitenordiditapproachanyjurisdictionswhohavebannedfracking.Ourso-calledEDIfrack-ingtourdidntincludeavisittoevenonefrackingsite.Aspartofthisinformationgath-eringwilltheENRministerworkwiththeIndustrymin-istertoensurethepromisedsoutherntourofregionalleadersincludesavisittoano-frackingjurisdictionandSometimeinAprilImhopingtogetagroupofbusi-nessleadersfromtheSahtudowntosoutheastSaskatch-ewanandintoNorthDakotatotalktoAboriginalleadersinBakkenaboutwhathashappenedthereandhowAboriginalgovernmentsandleadershereintheNorthwestTerritoriescantranslatewhatishappeningintheSahtuwilllikelycomeforwardthisspringorearlyfallatthelatestwiththerstfrackingguide-linesbasedonbestpracticesfromotherjurisdictionscur-rentlyregulatingfracking.BothYakeleyaandBrom-leyexpressedworriesthatthegovernmentisntmovingfastenoughtogettheamountofdetailrequiredbeforeital-lowstheareatoexplodewithindustrialactivity.Theneedforenviron-mentalandgeologicalbase-linedataessentialforgoodmanagementisclearbutarewecommittedtoachievingthisinformationbeforeal-lowingfull-scaledevelop-mentshouldreservesproveupBromleysaid.Thisdatacollectiontypicallyrequiresafulleldprogrampartneredwithlocalknowledge.Itsexpensivetakestimeandre-quiresanalysisandsynthesiswithexistinginformationtobeapplied.WedonthavetolookanyfurtherthanboomtownslikeFortMcMurrayAlbertaorFortNelsonBCtoseesomeofthesocialeffectsoffast-paceddevelopmentYake-leyasaid.Thiswinterwehaveseenhowexplorationalonestretchesthecapacityinourcommunities.Ramsaysaidthereisworkbeingdonetoensurebothen-vironmentalandsocialcon-cernsarebeingaddressed.Over1millionwasallo-catedintherecentbudgettomitigateimpactsofdevelop-mentintheSahtuincludingtheadditionofabusinessdevelopmentofcerinNor-manWells.Hesaidpolicingandeducationarealsobeinglookedat.OntheenvironmentalsideMiltenbergersaidthereisalsoplentyofworkbeingdone.Therearegoingtobedollarsavailabletoworkonthegroundwatermap-pingthesurfacewaterandthewildlifebaselineinfor-mationaswellheadded.Allthewellsthatarebeingdrilledandhavebeendrilledhavetodowellmonitor-ingsiteswatermonitor-ingsites.ThatinformationisgoingtobecollatedandpulledtogethersowecanbuildamapofthiscentralMackenzieSahturegionasitpertainstothestatusofthegroundwaterandsur-facewater.Thatworkisbeingdone.Wecanguesstheimpactsofhydraulicfrac-turingbasedonwhatweseeinotherplacesbutwecannotpredictthereallong-termim-pactsonthelandtheanimalsthelakesandriversoftheSahtu.SahtuMLANormanYakeleyatomeetwiththeAborigi-nalleadershipwithexten-sivefrackingexperienceinnortheasternBCheasked.Letseducateourpub-licsupporttheirfact-nd-ingtripstoactualfrackingsitesandfullyrespondtotheirconcernswithactionstoaddressandresolvethemheadded.RamsaysaidtherehavebeenanumberofmeetingsintheSahtuonfrackingandthatleadersfromtheSahtuattendedafrackingtourinCalgaryaswell.Hesaidmorevisitsareintheworksincludingonetoanactivefracksite.tobusinessopportunitiesfortheirpeopleandmakeabetterlifeforthemandtheirfamilieshesaid.TheEDIsreportonfrack-ingwhichrecommendedtheGNWTgettoworkim-mediatelyondevelopingitsownregulationsandpoliciesaroundtheunconventionaldrillingprocedureintimefordevolutionwasreleasedlastNovember.RamsaysaidITIandthedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesENRwouldreplytothereportbytheendofthecurrentsession.ENRMinisterMichaelMilt-enbergersaidthedepartmentPowerCorp.expandsSimpsonsolarprojectByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheNorthwestTerrito-riesPowerCorp.NTPChaspumpedupthelarg-estsolarprojectNorthof60byanextra43.6kilo-wattskw.Anadditional178solarpanelshavebeenerectedatFortSimpsonsairport-thesamesiteastheoriginal60.6kwarrayinstalledoneyearago.Thecombinedsystemhasthecapacitytoturnsunlightintoatotalof104kwofelectricityatpeakperiodstheequivalentof17housesor15percentofthecommunity.AccordingtothePowerCorp.itwilldisplaceap-proximately100000kwhoursofdieselgenerationannuallyandstop84.3tonsofcarbondioxidefromen-teringtheatmosphere.Investingincleansolartechnologybenetsboththeenvironmentandthroughdisplacedcostsourcustom-ersinthethermalratezoneBrendanBellchairmanofNTPCsBoardofDirectorssaidinapressrelease.Wewillcontinuetolookforop-portunitiestoreplacedie-selgenerationwithgreenenergy.ConstructiontoexpandthesolarenergysystembeganonJan.30.Theextrapan-els-installedbythesamevendorSkyFireEnergyofCalgarywithsubcontractorKiwiElectricofFortSimp-son-cost350000.Ofthat250000worthwaspurchasedthroughthedepartmentofEnviron-mentandNaturalResourcesENRSolarStrategyim-plementationfunds.Theremaining100000camefromNTPC.Theexpansionwasan-nouncedduringthereleaseoftheNWTSolarStrategylastNovember.ThoughnoothersolarprojectsarebeingactivelypursuedatthispointNTPCspokes-personBobKellysaidtheywouldbeconsideredpro-videdmoreGNWTfundingisavailable.Theoriginal258-panelsysteminstalledinApril2012generatedabout63megawatthoursofcleanelectricityinjustunderayearamountingtoeightpercentmorethananticipatedanddisplacingover43tonsofcarbonintheatmospherefromburningdieselwhichisequivalenttoplantingfouracresoftrees.PhotoNTPCTheexpandedFortSimpsonsolararrayincludes178newpanelsbringingthetotalpeakproductionupto104kilowatts.