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5TuesdayJanuary282014LETTERSTOTHEEDITORFortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-18Cand-27CNorms-18Cand-28C-25Low-26Low-16High-17High-20Low-23High-27Low-23Low-26Low-18High-19High-24Low-22High-27Low-15High-18HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-23Cand-31CNorms-22Cand-30C-15Low-21Low-17Low-18Low-24Low-29Low-18High-21High-24Low-23High-28Low-20High-12High-12High-13High-14HighEditorSenatorPattersoninhiscolumnonJan.7saidDen-nisBevingtonaftercongrat-ulatingPremierMcLeodlastMarchwhenthedevolutionagreementwassignedwiththefederalgovernmenthelddiscussionswithase-lectgroupofstakeholdersandthenproducedareportwhichbasicallytrashedthedevolutionagreement.Thereisastringofmis-informationinthisstate-ment.Firstlythereportwasacompendiumofpub-lishedstatementsofNorth-ernstakeholders.Secondlythereportwasnotondevolutionbutsolelyonthefederalgovernmentspro-posedchangestotheenvi-ronmentalregulatorysys-temintheNWT.ThirdlyitwaspublishedsixmonthsbeforetheMarchsigningoftheAIPondevolution.ThreefalsehoodsinonesentencethatisprettygoodevenforaHarper-appointedSenator.Anyonethatmaywanttolookatthereportcanseeitonmywebsitewww.den-nisbevington.ca.ItistitledNWTConsensusonRegu-latoryReform.DennisBevingtonMPWesternArcticSen.PattersonnottellingwholetruthEditorOnJune132013GNWTMinistersDavidRamsayandMichaelMiltenbergerwereguestsonaCKLBradiophone-inshowaboutfracking.Thephone-inshowcameontheheelsoftheapprovalofthersthorizontalhydraulicfracturingprojectintheNWT.Peoplephonedintoshareconcernsabouttheuseandmanagementoffrackingchem-icalsfreshwaterqualityandsupplyimpactstoaquaticspe-ciesdisplacedwildlifeland-scapefragmentationinducedearthquakesandthenegativeconsequencesofbypassingenvironmentalassessmentprocesses.Theministersdis-missedtheseconcernsbyspeakingofextensivemoni-toringgroundwatermappingwildlifebaselineandhabitatstudiesbestpracticesandsafeguardsincludinghorizon-talhydraulicfrackingguide-linesandfulltransparency.Itissevenmonthssincethephone-inshowandtherstfracisabouttohappen.ConocoPhillipsthecom-panydoingthefrackingisfollowingachemicalman-agementplanbasedmainlyonitschemicalsuppliersguidelinesandonguidancefromtheCanadianAssocia-tionofPetroleumProducers.Theplanmaintainstradese-cretsonvariouschemicalsused.Industryguidingin-dustryalongwithlackoffulldisclosurecertainlydoesntensureanybestpracticesandsafeguardsforpublicanden-vironmentalsafety.ConcernabouttradesecretswasareasontheCouncilofCanadiansNWTChap-terusedtheEnvironmentalRightsActtocallforanin-vestigationofcontaminantslikelytobereleasedasare-sultofthefrackingproject.TheministerresponsiblefortheActrefusedtoundertakethisinvestigation.NowwelearnthroughNorthernJour-nalarticlesonJan.13and212014thattheresultsofthisfrackingprojectinclud-ingimpactsongroundwatermaynotbeknownforayearormoreafterdrillingresultshavebeencollected.NorthernersespeciallythoseincloseproximitytotheCono-coPhillipsprojectarebecom-ingincreasinglyconcernedaboutfracking.ArumouredapplicationfromHuskyOiltolaunchanotherfrackingprojectintheareaaddstothesecon-cerns.AJan.62014North-ernJournalarticlereportedthatthereare200namesonapetitioninTulitaand900onapetitioninFortGoodHopecallingforthesuspensionoffrackinguntilthereisaregion-widevote.ThecurrentsituationleadstheCouncilofCanadianstoaskmanyquestions.Withoutthoroughenvironmentalassess-mentshowcanweorregulatorsknowwhatrisksandimpactsareinvolvedwiththisandfu-turefrackingoperationsHowdoweknowwhetherindustryorregulatorsaremonitoringtherightthingsorimplementingthecorrectmitigationmeasuresWhatbaselineresearchcanwecomparemonitoringdatatoWherearethepromisedGNWTworld-classfrack-ingguidelinespromisedbytheministerWhydoesourgovernmentallowindustrytocontaminatemassivevolumesoffreshwaterthatcannotbere-claimedandarepermanentlydangeroustoourecosystemWhatwillthecumulativeim-pactofmultiplehorizontalfrackingoperationsbeonthelandwildlifeandwaterWhydoweallowindustrytosettheirownrulesfordisclosureoftoxicchemicalsWhydoestheoilandgasindustryresistenvironmentalassessmentsoftheiractivitiesWhataretheytryingtohideTheseandotherquestionsmakeitclearthatwithoutrig-orouspublicenvironmentalassessmentsandfulltranspar-encywithrespecttohorizon-talfrackingoperationswearesettingourselvesupforasitu-ationsimilartoGiantMinecontaminationthatcannotberemovedormitigatedandmustbemanagedforgenerationsifnotforever.Itistimeforgovernmentandregulatorstostepuptoprotecttheenvironmentandthepublictrust.Environmentalassess-mentsonallhorizontalhy-draulicfrackingoperationsmustbemandatory.Andifthesocialandenvironmen-talrisksaretoohighproj-ectsshouldnotbeapproved.PeterRedversLoisLittleNWTChapterCo-chairsCouncilofCanadiansFrackingrequirestransparencyProtectingtheenvironmentandthepublictrustNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKJesseCockneya24year-oldInuvialukborninYellowkniemadehistoryinearlyJanuaryasthefrstAboriginalmantomaketheCanadianOlympicteamincross-countryskiing.NWTskiermakeshistoryDarleneLambWaytogoJesseJohnTseleieFredKellyfromFortGoodHopewasontheOlympicteamin1972--OlympicsinSapporoJapan--sowereothersfromtheNWT...JohnTurnerWaytogoJesse.Yourfol-lowingintheFirthGirlsstepsandmaketheN.W.T.proud.Keepupthegreateffort...weareallproudofyou.EditorAstudyfromtheCanadianCentreforPolicyAlternativespublishedearlierthisyearshowsthatCanadas100best-paidCEOsbreezedthroughyear2012withearningsnear271timeshigherthantheav-erageCanadianworker-7.96millioncomparedto46634.Therearenowordstofullyexpressmyfeelingstowardsthis.Somewordsthougheasilycometomymindtoexpressthereasonsbehindsuchdiscrepancies-wordsthatwewouldneedtonameandrepeatifwewishtoputanendtosuchanabuse.Theyareselshnesscontemptcynicismcorruptionabuseandpatronage.Andifwewanttopushdeepertheyarepoliticalpartiesnanc-inglobbyingpropagandamediaconcentrationdiver-sionofdemocracyandlackofdemocracy.IamsureCanadiansdonotonlythinkthisisunfairbutanincreasingnumberofthemmustalsorealizethatonlyanequalsharingofpow-ers-whichwouldmeanarealdemocracy-wouldleadustowardsanequalwealthsharing.BrunoMarquisGatineauQCCEOpayThewordsweshoulduse