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EnvironmentFracking2TuesdayNovember192013NEWSBRIEFSENRseeksmoosemeatwasterThedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourceshasappealedtothepublicforhelpndingthoseresponsibleforwastingmoosemeatafterarumpofamooseincludingpartofthebackstrapandtenderloinwasfounddumpedattheYellowknifeSandPitsinlateOctober.AccordingtoNWTlawitsillegaltowastedestroyabandonorallowtospoilanymeatfrombiggameexcepttheheadlowerlegsinternalsandmeatdamagedfromthegunshot.ENRof-cersbelievethemooseabandonedwasharvestedthisfallandaskthatanyonewithinformationcontacttheirNorthSlaveofceat873-7181ortheReportaPoachertoll-freelineat1-866-762-2437.NWTMPappointedArcticCouncilcriticDennisBevingtonNDPMPfortheWesternArctichasbeenappointedtheofcialOppositioncriticfortheArcticCouncil.InastatementfollowingtheappointmentNDPLeaderTomMulcairsaidthepartyrecognizestheCana-dianArcticwillplayamajorroleinthefutureofCanada.NunavutMPLeonaAglukkaqistheConservativeMPresponsiblefortheArcticCouncilwhichiscurrentlyunderCanadianchairmanshipuntil2015.BevingtonwilltakeontheroleofArcticCouncilcriticinadditiontohiscurrentpositionasofcialOppositioncriticfortheCa-nadianNorthernEconomicDevelopmentAgency.TheArcticCouncilestablishedin1996isanintergovern-mentalforumofArcticStatesindigenouscommunitiesandArcticinhabitantstopromotecooperationandworktowardscommongoals.TRCmandateextendedbyoneyearTheTruthandReconciliationCommissionTRChasbeengivenaone-yearextensiontocompleteitsman-dateofndingaresolutiontothelegacyofIndianResi-dentialSchoolsaccordingtoastatementfromBernardValcourtministerofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopment.ThegovernmentgrantedtheextensionattherequestoftheTRCwhichwillnowhaveuntilJune302015tonishreportsandaccessgovernmentdocu-mentsheldatLibraryandArchivesCanada.TheTRCwasformedin2008aspartofthecourt-orderedIndianResidentialSchoolsSettlementAgreement.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheNWTsenvironmentministermaybeconvincedthatvoluntarydisclosureofthechemicalsusedinhydrau-licfracturingissufcientbutcriticsofthecontrover-sialmethodofpetroleumex-tractionsayindustrysshorttrackrecordintheNorthisalreadypointingawayfromtransparency.PeterRedversco-chairoftheCouncilofCanadi-ansNWTchaptersaidtheentiredebateoverfracuiddisclosurearoseintheter-ritorybecauseoilcompanyConocoPhillipsrecentlyap-provedtodrilltwoexplor-atoryfrackingwellsintheSahturegionaskedpermis-siontokeepsomechemicalssecretthroughaproprietaryrightsclause.Therewillbesomepriv-ilegetakenwithrespecttotradesecrecybecauseitwasConocoPhillipsthataskedforthat.AfterthedraftlicensewasfloatedConocoPhillipsindicatedthatitwouldbewantingtowithholdinformationandtheSahtuLandandWaterBoardessentiallyagreedtothatinthefinalpermitRedverssaid.NewlingrequirementslaidoutbytheNationalEn-ergyBoardNEBwhichiscurrentlytaskedwithregu-latingfrackingintheNWTdonotobligatecompaniestodisclosethechemicalmakeupoftheirfracuidsbutin-steadmakethedecisionavoluntaryone.ThoughConocoPhillipshaspromisedpubliclytodisclosethechemicalsitplanstouseintheSahtualongwiththelistofchem-icalsusedaftereachfracRedverssaidhesimplydoesnotbelievethatinforma-tionwillbetothedetailthepublicwants.WeknowthatCono-coPhillipsisnotparticu-larlyopentorevealingthosechemicalstotheex-tentthatwewantwhichisthefullchemicalanal-ysisaswellasthevol-umehesaid.Voluntaryjustdoesntcutit.ItsnotreasonablethatcitizensoftheNWTshouldhavetorelyonthegenerosityandgoodwillofcompaniestodisclosewhatitistheyredoingonthelandbecausefranklytherecordhasntbeenallthatgreatinthatarea.Disclosurehastobemandatoryandithastobedoneatthepre-screeningasacomponentofanen-vironmentalassessment.RedversalongwithCoun-cilco-chairLoisLittlerecentlyrequestedEnvi-ronmentandNaturalRe-sourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenbergerlookintothechemicalsplannedforuseinConocoPhillipsfrackingprojectundertheEnviron-mentalRightsActwhichdemandstheministerin-vestigatepotentialthreatstotheenvironmentorpub-lichealthandsafety.Thoughoriginallyindicat-inghewouldlookintothematterMiltenbergerlaterflip-floppedfollowingtheNEBsdecisiontoapprovetheConocoPhillipsprojectinlateOctobersayingfed-erallegislationtrumpsthatoftheNWT.Theministerwaslaterchallengedinthelegisla-turebyMLABobBromleywhoaskedthesameques-tionposedbytheCouncilinitsdisappointedlettertoMiltenbergerfollowinghisrefusalIstheministeroftheopinionthatthereleaseofunknowncontaminantsintotheenvironmentdoesnotconstituteathreattotheenvironmentandthepublictrustMiltenbergersaidhehadfaithintheexistingregula-toryregimetoaddresstheconcernsbeingraisedbytheCouncil.WhatIamsatisedwithisthatwehaveaprocessundertheMackenzieValleyResourceManagementActwiththeboardswiththeen-vironmentalassessmentsthatweredonetheSahtuLandandWaterBoardwiththeNEBthataddressedtheis-sueshesaid.TheEnvironmentalRightsActdoesnothavetheabilitytooverrulefed-erallegislationjustfromalegalpointofviewandevenifitdidIdontbelievethatwouldbearequirementbe-causeIdontthinktherearetheconcernsraised.ButRedversarguedthatanenvironmentalassess-mentnevertookplaceinthecaseofConocoPhillips-amajorfailingthatcastsdoubtontheministerscer-taintythatenvironmentalandpublicsafetyconcernsdonotexist.Howdoweknowwhattheimpactsareifwehaventassessedthoseandifwedontevenfullyknowwhatthechemicalsareorthevol-umesareAllofthatneedstobeonthetableupfrontpriortoanypermitorlicensede-cisionsandthatdidnthap-penwithConocoPhillipshesaid.Thatwasafailingonthepartofanumberofagencies.RedverssaidtheCoun-cilisawaitingaformalre-sponsefromMiltenbergeraddressingitsquestionsandhascontactedalltheterri-torysMLAstourgemove-mentatthepoliticallevelontheissue.Legalrecourseisalsounderconsiderationhesaidthoughhenotedthatitmaybemorerealistictolookatensuringbetteraccount-abilitywhenitcomestimetoassessthenextfrackingproposal.Whenwelookatfuturefrackingapplicationsandtheremaybesomecomingupintherelativelynearfu-turethenIthinkitsabso-lutelyimperativethatthosegotoenvironmentalassess-mentatminimum.Youjustcantallowindustrialdevelopmentthathassuchhugeimpactsonfreshwa-terresourcesintheNWTtosortofsailthroughRed-verssaid.FracfluiddisclosuremustbeobligatorycriticswarnAshaleoilrighorizontallyfracksnorthofFortNelsonintheHornRiverBasinofnortheasternBritishColumbia.FilephotoDOYOUREALLYNEEDWINTERTIRESTIRENORTHLTD.917MacKenzieHwySS22HayRiverNTX0E0R8Callusat867874-2686Weareyourwintertiresolution.ALL-SEASONTIRESAREACOMPROMISETheyworkfineonawidevarietyofconditionsbuttheyarenotthemasterofanycondition.Wintertiresdelivermuchbettersnowandicehandlingperformancethanall-seasontiresbecauseoftheirtreaddesigns.Wintertiresprovideasmuchas50percentbettertraction.Thiscouldbethedifferencebetweensafeaccelerationandbrakingoracollision.THEBESTWAYTOMANAGEYOURTIRESOurNorthernclimaterequirestwosetsoftires-allseasonsforsummeruseandwintertiresthatareinstalledfromOctobertoApril.BUYAWINTERTIREPACKAGEFROMTIRENORTHWewillSWAPYOURTIRESFORFREEinthespringandfall.