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3TuesdayOctober82013NWTtakeslessonsfromsouthernshalegasplayNortherndelegationtoursactivefrackingsitesinBakkenformationByMEAGANWOHLBERGDecisionmakersintheNorthwestTerritoriestouredoneofNorthAmericasmostactiveshaleplayslastweektobuildonmodelsofsuccessandlearnfromsouthernmis-takesinpreparationforde-velopingtheirownfrackingindustryintheSahturegionoftheterritory.MinisterofIndustryTour-ismandInvestmentDavidRamsayledadelegationofelectedterritorialandmunici-palofcialsAboriginallead-ersandregulatorsthrough-outsouthernSaskatchewanandNorthDakotafromSept.29-Oct.4meetingwithgov-ernmentindustryandFirstNationstoexplorebusinessopportunitiesandgarnerad-viceonhowtoprepareforanoncomingsurgeofindustrialdevelopment.ThedelegationincludedFortGoodHopeChiefGregLaboucanrepresentativesfromboththeNormanWellsandTulitaLandCorp.SahtuMLANormanYakeleyatworepresentativesfromtheNa-tionalEnergyBoardNEBMLARobertHawkinswhositsaschairofthestandingcommitteeoneconomicde-velopmentandinfrastructureWeledehMLABobBromleyandNormanWellsMayorGregorMcGregor.Wereseeingsomeoftheimpactsdevelopmenthashadbothpositiveandnega-tive...andalotofwhatweveheardfromstaterepresenta-tiveshereinNorthDakotaisiftheycoulddoitalloveragaintheydplanitbetterRamsaytoldTheJournalfromtheUSonThursday.ThatswherewehaveanadvantagebecausewerestillintheearlydaysoftheCanolplaysowecanplanandgetthingsdoneright.BakkenplaguedbyinfrastructuresocialissuesRamsaysaidgovernmentofcialsinthesouthtalkedaboutchallengeswithpre-parednessaroundinfrastruc-turelikepipelinesroadshousingandschoolsalongwithresourceslikepolicingtodealwithincreasedsocialproblemsthatcomealongwithdevelopment.ItsbeensuchamassiveinuxofpeopleintotheareatheyvehadsomeissueswithanumberofthingsfromthesocialsideRamsaysaid.Inmeetingwithcivicof-cialsinWillistonBrom-leysaidthedelegatesheardaboutaplethoraofsocialissueschallengingthecitywhichhasbeentakenoverbytemporaryworkerswhoaddstresstothesystem.Of-cialsestimatedeachwell-siteemployedonlyoneper-manentposition.Whereasveyearsagothecityemployed22policeof-cersitnowhosts60alongwithtwoadditionaljudges.Emergencymedicalserviceshavebeenincreased10-foldandrstrespondersdescribedthetypesofemergenciesontheriseasgrotesqueshockingandlikebeinginawarzone.Mostofthoseaccidentsarehighwayrelated.Around2200truckspassdailyonjustone11-milesectionofroadthroughMandanHidatsaandArikaraMHAThreeNationsterritory.Thetotalestimatedtruckstravellingthroughouttheroadsystemiscloserto38000.TherearemanydeathsonthehighwaystheFirstNationssaidtheyhavelostalotofpeopleBromleysaid.FirstNationsintheareaalsoattestedtoheightenedaddictionsassubstanceslikemethandheroinpiggy-backtheirwayintothearea.BothBromleyandYake-leyasaidthestatisticshavethemconcernedaboutthefateoftheSahturegionwhichismoreisolatedgeo-graphicallychallengingandmuchlesspreparedintermsofinfrastructureandhumanresources.ItsgottentothepointwhereImsayingohmygodwedonteventouchthescaleofcapacityneededBromleysaid.Itsprettyoverwhelm-ingtoconsidertheSahtuwhichstillhasapristineen-vironmentandwherepeoplearealotclosertotheland...Thiskindofinfrastructurewilltakehundredsofmillionsinupfrontfundingandthatjustdoesntappear.YakeleyasaidtheGNWTneedstocreateamasterplanforaddressingtheimpactsthedevelopmentisgoingtohaveoncommuni-tiesintheSahtu.Itsreallyoverwhelmingandweneedtoknowwhatweregettingintohesaid.Weneedtohavefarad-vancedplanningforroadssafetyhousinghealthcare...andensurepropertrainingforouryoungpeople.MakingmoneyhandoverstDespitenoshortageofchallengesalldelegatessaidthoseproblemshavecomewithtremendouseco-nomicprosperityinbothjurisdictions.Youlookaroundtheresnewroadconstructionhotelsbeingbuiltofcebuildingsentireresidentialcommuni-ties.Sotheeconomyisab-solutelyredhothereanditwasinSaskatchewantoo.ThehousingmarketisblisteringinReginayoulookatEste-van-everyoneseemstobedrivinganewtruckorcar.TheeconomyshummingalongRamsaysaid.BromleycalledtheentirepaceofdevelopmentandthemoneybeingmadeintheBak-kenareaoverwhelming.Theyaredealingwithunimaginablesumsofmoneyhereandanun-imaginablepaceofdevel-opmenthesaid.Itsveryhardtograspitssobig.Generallypeoplearereallyexcitedaboutthemoney.Therearealotofpeoplethatarebenefittingespe-ciallyfinancially.Withataxonoilandgasof11.5percentthestateofNorthDakotaisrakingin3billionperyearinadditiontothecashgar-neredfromagrossprod-uctroyaltyrateof12-19percent.TherevenuehasresultedinsevendifferentfundsincludingalegacyfundsimilartotheNWTHeritageFundthatisal-readyupto1.5billiondespitebeingcreatedjustthreeyearsagoandthelocalThreeNationsaremaking25millionamonth.TheyremakingmoneyhandoverstBromleysaid.FrackingisnotanissueThemessagefromgovern-mentofcialsintheBakkenwaspredominantlyanen-couragingoneonthetopicofenvironmentRamsaysaid.ThebottomlinethatweveheardloudandclearfrombothSaskatchewanandNorthDakotaishydraulicfracturingisnotanenvi-ronmentalorsafetyissuehesaid.Yakeleyasaidhewasre-assuredaboutthesafetyofthetechnologyafterseeingitrsthandandhearingfromthelocalFirstNationswhoreportnoproblemswithwell-sitesbeingontheirland.IlookedfrackinginthefacebutIwasntsocon-cernedafterhesaid.AllthethingstheysayaboutfrackingIdidntsee.Thereareconcernshowevertheresregulationscomplianceandenforcement.Therewasnttoomuchevidenceoftheissueswethoughtweweregoingtosee.Thoughdelegatesheardfewofthegroundwatercon-cernsthattypicallycomealongwithfrackingBrom-leysaidtheamountofex-cessnaturalgascurrentlybeingburnedoffandsentintotheatmosphere-esti-matedat1billionperyear-istroublingconsideringtherecentinternationalclimatechangereportwhichraiseditsestimateforthepotencyofmethaneasagreenhousegasbe34timesthatofcar-bondioxidelastweek.Conservationgroupsintheareaalsonotedthereareproblemswithhabitatfrag-mentationcausedbytheroadnetworksandwellpadsscat-teredthroughouttheregion.Currentlythereareover9000wellsandthatnumberisex-pectedtoincreaseto50000asmorediscoveriesaremade.TakecontrolandkeepcontrolBromleysaidhesstillpro-cessingtheexperiencebutthemainsensehestakenawayisthatdevelopmentintheSahtuisgoingtohavetobeatamuchslowerpacethanwhatheseesintheBakken.Wewillhavetogoveryslowlyandmodestlyhesaid.Alltheregulator-typepeopleandcommunitypeoplehavesaidTakecontrolandkeepcontrol.Theoilcompanieswillcontrolitifyouletthem.Dontdothat.Ifwecandothatsuccessfullyandcontroltheactualscaleandpaceofthisdevelopmentthatwillbeahugehelpbecausewesimplycouldntdoitproperlyotherwisehesaid.RamsaysaidheiscondenttheGNWTcandeveloptheregionsuccessfully.Wehavetomakesurethatwegetthisright.WedontwantthisopportunitytopassusbyandIthinkwecandoitanddoitrightheconcluded.Halliburtondrillsforshalegasusinghydraulicfracturingatoneofthethousandsofactivewell-sitesintheBakkenplayofNorthDakota.IndustryOilGasPhotoJoshuaDoubekHon.J.MichaelMiltenbergerMLAThebachawillbehostingaConstituencyMeetingonWednesdayOctober162013at700p.m.attheNorthernLifeMuseum.ConstituencyMeetingAllresidentswelcome.Pleasefeelfreetoattendandraiseanyconcernsorissues.TheHon.RobertC.McLeodwillbeinattendance.ForfurtherinformationcalltheRefreshmentswillbeavailable.