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8TuesdayJune112013ApplybyJune282013Applicationformsavailableonlineatwww.debeersgroup.comcanadaOrcontactDeBeersformoreinformationTel867-766-7300Emailnwt.scholarshipsdebeerscanada.comBecauseaneducationisforever...ApplynowstudentsregisteredinthefollowingstudyareasOnerecipientmaybeselectedforaneducationsponsorshipworthupto55000overfouryears.ByJACKDANYLCHUKConocoPhillipswilllearnthisweekifitsplanstodrilltwoexploratoryhorizontalwellsandconducthydraulicfracturingwillbeallowedtoskipafullenvironmen-talreview.TheSahtuLandandWaterBoardwasscheduledtomeetTuesdaytoweighresponsestodrafttermsandconditionsithasproposedfortheCono-coPhillipsdrillingprogramintheCanolshalenearNor-manWells.TheboardhasreceiveddozensoflettersfromNor-manWellsbusinessownersurgingittobypassareviewacoursesupportedbyEn-vironmentandNaturalRe-sourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenberger.Ifthecompanydoesev-erythingitpromisedandfol-lowstherulessetoutbytheterritorialgovernmentthisprojectcouldproceedinourmindwithoutanyfurtherrequirementsMiltenbergertoldtheLegislaturelastweek.ConocoPhillipsisevalu-atingtheresultsfromtwoverticalwellstogaugethepossibilityofaseismiceventduringhydraulicfracturing.TheNEBrequiresoperatorstoreportseismiceventsandceaseoperationsifordered.Thecompanymustreporttheexistenceofanygeologicfaultsinthearea.Iftheypres-entarisktohydraulicfractur-ingthecompanywillnotbeallowedtoproceedwithoutapprovedplansforpreven-tionandmitigationofseis-micevents.WeledehMLABobBrom-leycondemnedMiltenberg-erspositionandaccusedthegovernmentofbeingobvi-ouslyopenforbusinessatanycost.Miltenbergersaidthegov-ernmentmustbalancetheenvironmentandeconomicdevelopmentinaresource-basedeconomywhilede-velopingpolicyaroundhori-zontaldrillingandhydraulicfracturing.Weareatthesametimerecognizingthattheworldisnotgoingtostandstillandweneedtomaintainthatbalanceaswecatchupwithourpol-icyworkMiltenbergersaid.BromleysentalettertotheboardremindingitofitsdecisionlastOctobertosendasimilardrillingpro-posalfromMGMEnergytoareviewbecauseitwasthersttousethecontroversialprocessandbecauseoftheabsenceofbaselinedataongroundandsurfacewater.ThewellsproposedbyCon-ocoPhillipscantbeconsideredharmlessornecessarysimplybecausetheyaretestoperationswhencomprehensivemoni-toringandmanagementgoalshavenotyetbeenestablishedBromleywrote.MGMEnergywithdrewitsapplicationandsuspendedop-erationsfollowingtheboardsdecisionlastfallpromptinganairstripand20kmofroadoverthepasttwoseasons.Itwilldrilltwomoreverticalwellsbeforeapplyingtodrillhorizontalwells.MinisterseesgreenlightforConocoPhillipsfrackingIndustryOilGasWeareatthesametimerecognizingthattheworldisnotgoingtostandstillandweneedtomaintainthatbalanceaswecatchupwithourpolicywork.MinisterMichaelMiltenbergerEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesfearsofaneconomicdown-turninNormanWellsifCono-coPhillipstookthesamecourse.ConocoPhillipshasde-clinedcommentbutEricHansonthecompanysex-plorationsupervisorintheMackenzieValleysaidear-lierhedoesnotthinktheex-plorationstageistheappro-priatetimeforanenviron-mentalreviewthatcouldtake18to36monthstocomplete.HuskytheothermajorplayerintheCanolshaledepositwhichisthoughttoholdasmuchasthreebillionbarrelsofoilcompletedtwoverticalwellsandhasbuiltAklavikmayoraskingforpermanentroadCommunitynarrowlyavoidedevacuationduringrecentoodsByDONJAQUEFloodinginAklaviklastweekbroughttheMackenzieDeltacommunitytothebrinkofevacuationbutwithnohighgroundforrefugethatwouldhavemeantyingthenearly700residentsinsmallplanestoInuvik-prohibi-tivelyexpensiveandalogis-ticalnightmaresayshamletMayorArnieSteinwand.AklavikneedsaroadtohighgroundSteinwandtoldTheJournal.Hesaidtheyhavebeenlobbyingforaroadcon-nectiontotheDempsterHigh-wayfordecades.Thatwouldnotonlybeanoutlettosafetybutbygivingthecommunityaccesstotheoutsideworlditwouldhelpkickstartthelocaleconomyhesaid.Wehavebeenlobbyingfortheroadfor60yearssowewouldhave12monthsoftheyearaccess.Nobodylistens.TheydontseemtogiveadamnSteinwandsaid.ThecommunitysitsonthePeelRiverchannelonthewestsideofthedelta.IfthePeelisinoodthecommunityisatrisk.Thathappensoften.Thisyearitwasclosewithonlyroadsoodedbutsixyearsagotheoodcrestwashigherandthewholetownhadtobeairliftedtosafety.Wewereluckythisyear.ItcrestedbeforeanyhouseswereoodedbutanotherfootorsoandwewouldhavehadtoevacuateSteinwandsaid.Aklaviktheoriginaldeltatownsitebeforethegovern-mentmovedmanyoftheresi-dentstoInuvikinthe1950ssitsonaoodplainandhasonlyasmallnetworkoflocalroads.Ithaslittlelocalecon-omyexceptforhuntingtrap-pingandshingbutStein-wandsaidthatwouldchangewitharoadconnectiontotheDempsterHighwayroughly60kmaway.Aroadtoanearbygravelquarryonly18kmawayisintheworkswhichwouldbearststepthemayorsaid.Thequarryislocatedinthehillsandoffershighgroundtoevacuatetowhichwouldreducetheneedforanairliftinthecaseofooding.CurrentlyallgravelforlocalneedshastobebroughtinbybargeorwinterroadfromInuvik.Steinwandsaidaconnec-tionfromtheDempsterHigh-waytoAklavikwouldopenupthewestsideoftheMackenzieDeltatooilandgasexplora-tionandbringtourismtrafctothecommunity.SincetheconnectionwouldnotrequirecrossingthePeelorMack-enzieRiversheprojectsitcouldalsofacilitateairliftstoInuvikinspringandfallwhentherivercrossingsarenotavailable.IfwehadadirectroadAklavikwouldbeavailableforanairlift.RightnowwhenInuvikiscutofftheairliftisfromWhitehorseorYellow-knifeandveryexpensive.DoingittheshortdistancefromAklavikwouldreducecosts.Itwouldmakealotofsensehesaid.PoliticsMunicipal