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EnvironmentArctic9TuesdayApril82014ArcticCouncilreviewsinternationaloffshoreoildrillingshippingregulationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGItsamassivetaskbuttheArcticCouncilisinthethroesofunpackingtheinternationalcommunityscurrentoffshorepetroleumdrillingandshippingregula-tionstoensureproperrulesexistforacomingwaveofdrillingandtransporta-tioniniceladenNorthernwaters.WesternArcticMPDen-nisBevingtonwhoattendedtheplenarysessionsoftheArcticCouncilsseniorof-cialsmeetinginYellowknifelatelastmonthsaidthereisanenormousamountofworkbeingundertakenbythecouncilsworkinggroupswhosemainfocusrightnowismarineoilpol-lutionprevention.Whattheyredoingistheyvecreatedamatrixofregulationsotheyveexam-inedalltheregulationsthatexistnowamongdifferentcountriesandtheyretry-ingtoworkthatintoahybridinternationalinstrumentBevingtonsaid.MuchoftheworkcamefromevaluationsofBPsDeepwaterHorizonblow-outintheGulfofMexicoin2010thelargestmarineoilaccidentinhistory.Beving-tonsaidthemistakesmadeinthatpreventablespillwereextrapolatedbythestudyintoanArcticenvironmenttoconsiderthecomplicationsthatcouldariseifsimilareventsweretotranspireinNorthernwaterswithdif-ferentweatherandwaterconditions.Itwasaprettyrevealingdocumentabouthowdif-cultitisgoingtobetodotheworkintheArcticandhowincrediblywell-trainedandwell-equippedanyofthesecrewsthatmightbeworkinguptherewillhavetobehowcarefullytheyllhavetobemonitoredandhowrigor-ouslytheyllhavetofollowproceduresBevingtonsaid.TheyseehowinanormalenvironmentthesethingsstarttofallapartandtheyreconcernedaroundwhatwouldhappeninanArcticenvironment.WhileArcticoffshoredrillinghasbeendonesuc-cessfullyandsafelyinju-risdictionssuchasNorwayforyearstherstdrillinginice-lledwaterswasjustre-centlydoneforthersttimebyRussia.ItisanewfrontierthatBevingtonsaysiscauseforconcernbecauseoftheaddedcomplexitiesoftheterrain.Nomatterhowgoodtherulesareifyoucantobeytherulestheyrenogoodhesaid.Apartfrompollutionpre-ventionworkisunderwaytocompleteapolarship-pingcodeundertheleadoftheInternationalMaritimeOrganizationwhichwantstocompletethecodethisyearandseeitcomeintoforcewithinthenexttwotothreeyears.Thestandardswouldin-cludeshipdesignandcon-structionshipsystemsandequipmentandtrainingformaritimecrews.Inordertodothistheyneednewtechnologytheyneedtheshipbuildingindus-trytoupgradeandinnovatesoithastopervadethroughtheindustryBevingtonsaid.Theyidentifyalltheseareaswherequiteobviouslythestandardmaritimeregu-lationsarenotgoingtobegoodenough.ApartfrompreparingforanincreaseinArcticpetro-leumproductionanditsac-companyingenvironmentalrisksBevingtonsaidwork-inggroupsofthecouncilareactivelyworkingonbiodiver-sityassessmentsandcontri-butionstoclimatechangesuchasblackcarbonandmethaneemissions.HesaidtheArcticCoun-cilhasbecomeanimpor-tantforumfordiscussingclimatechangeoutsideoftheUNsConferenceofthePartiesCOPprocesswhichhesayshasnotbeeneffectivelyaddressingtheissues.Bevingtonsmaincon-cernwiththecouncilitselfisthatitisperhapsbecom-ingstretchedtoothinasitattemptstotakeonthishugebodyofresearchandpolicy-making.Whilethecouncilcallsontheeffortsofawidenetworkofscientistsandpolicymakersfromallofitseightmemberstatesthereareonlyfouremployeesinthesecretariatcoordinatingtheworkload.Somecountrieswerewonderingwhetherwecouldhandlethisvolumeofworkhesaid.TheresalotofworkgoingonbutforthecoordinationofallthatandmakingallthatcometogetherIdontthinkthestructureisanywherenearwhereithastobe.Ithinkitshouldbemuchlargerasengagedasitcanbewithalloftheseseriousissuesthattheydealwith.ThenextmeetingoftheseniorofcialsoftheArcticCouncilissetforthisOcto-berinWhitehorse.CamillaZoe-ChocolateaTlichomemberoftheArcticAthabaskanCouncilspeaksduringoneoftheArcticCouncilmeetingsinYellowknifeinMarch.PhotocourtesyofArcticCouncilArcticEconomicCounciltopromotebusinessinNorthByMEAGANWOHLBERGSeniorofficialswiththeArcticCouncilhavesignedoffonthecreationofanewcircumpolareconomicagencyaimedatfacilitatingregionaleconomicgrowthintheNorth.ArcticCouncilmemberstatesmovedforwardwiththeestablishmentoftheArc-ticEconomicCouncilduringtheirmeetingsinYellowknifeattheendofMarchthesec-ondgatheringtotakeplacesinceCanadaassumeditstwo-yearchairmanship.TheinitiativeputforthbyCanadainitsrstmomentsaschairwasrstapprovedinKirunalastMayandaninternationaltaskforcewassetuptodevelopacircum-polarbusinessforumwithrepresentationfromalleightArcticCouncilmemberstates.Overthepastsevenmonthsthatfocushasshiftedtocre-atingapermanentcouncil.TherstmeetingoftheeconomiccouncilexpectedtoreportdirectlytotheArc-ticCouncilwillbecoordi-natedbyArcticCouncilchairLeonaAglukkaq.BothAglukkaqandthede-partmentofForeignAffairsTradeandDevelopmentde-clinedrequestsforcommentstatingthatdetailswouldbereleasedinduecourse.AccordingtoabriefingnotedistributedattheArc-ticCouncilmeetingswhichwereclosedtothepublicandmediatheoverallaimofthepermanenteconomiccoun-cilistofostersustainabledevelopmentincludingeco-nomicgrowthenvironmentalprotectionandsocialdevelop-mentintheArcticregion.ThenotestatesthatthegroupwillstrengthentheArc-ticCouncilbyenhancingre-gionaleconomiccooperationfacilitatebusinessopportuni-tiestradeandinvestmentintheArcticandmaximizethepo-tentialforeconomicactivitiestopositivelyimpactNortherncommunitieswhileprotectingtheenvironment.TheeconomiccouncilmayputforwardproposalsandreportstotheArcticCouncilandtheArcticCouncilmayproposeareasoffocusfortheeconomiccounciltoconsider.EachArcticmemberstateandthesixindigenousperma-nentparticipantsoftheArcticCouncilhavetwomonthstonominatethreerepresenta-tivestoattendtheeconomiccouncilsrstmeetingthoughfuturemeetingswillallowin-dustrytoparticipate.Inthefuturethemember-shipoftheAECwillnotbelimitedtosuchnominationsandmayacceptself-nomina-tionsfromtheArcticbusinesscommunitythenotestates.Themaximumsizeofthegroupgovernancestructureandactivitiesareyettobedeter-mined.Adateforitsrstmeet-inghasyettobeannounced.Itissupposedtobecom-pletelyindependentsoitsnotgoingtobefundedthroughtheArcticCouncilWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonwhoattendedthetwodaysofmeetingsinYellowknifetoldTheJournal.Itsgoingtobeself-appointedhoweverthatssupposedtoworkandfundedbytheparticipantsItakeit.Bevingtonsaidthecreationoftheeconomiccouncilisaconcernforhimbecauseithasthepotentialtoovershadowtheenvironmentalbackboneoftheorganization.Economicsquiteobvi-ouslyislargerthansimplybusinesssoevenonthatpar-ticularsubjectbusinesscantbetheonlyoneinputtingintotheeconomics.Theycanhaveasayinitbutwhatweneedtodoisgetthroughalltheis-suesthatweredealingwithattheArcticCouncilrightnowwhicharelinkedtoenviron-mentalissueshesaid.Yestheresgoingtobeeco-nomicactivitybutwecantlettheeconomicactivitygetaheadoftheenvironmentalactivity.Theenvironmentalactivityhasbeenthemainfocusthepri-orityitemandwedontwanttoseeitswitchedtohavingtheeconomicsbethepriorityitem.Thatisaswitchthatwillputalotatrisk.PhotoJackDanylchukSeniorArcticCouncilofcialsenjoyamusicalperformanceatYellowknifesSnowcastleonMar.26.PoliticsArcticCouncil