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2TuesdayOctober72014ENVIRONMENTAIRQUALITYNEWSBRIEFSThreeproponentsqualifyforStantonTerritorialHospitalrenovationsThreeproponentshavequaliedforStantonTerritorialHospitalsrenewalprojectincludingtheBorealHealthPartnershipEllisDonCorp.andPlenaryGroupCanadaLtd.selectedpursuanttotheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesRequestforQualications.TheorganizationsareinvitedtoparticipateinthenextroundoftheselectionprocesstheRequestforProposalRFPstagepossiblyis-suedthismonth.Theve-yearconstructionprojectcouldbeginasearlyasSeptember2015.NormanWellsmailsuspectedstolenTheRCMPandCanadaPosthaveteameduponanin-vestigationaftervebagsofmailwerefoundonabushtrailalmost8kmfromNormanWells.ThersttwobagswerediscoveredonSept.26followedbythreemoreinthesameareathenextday.AccordingtotheRCMPsomeofthemaillookedlikeithadbeentamperedwith.ThemailhassincebeenreturnedtoCanadaPostandworkisbeingdonetodeterminewhatifanythingwasstolenincludingperhapsmedication.GNWTincreasespayoutpriceforNWTharvestedsealskinsStartingnextseasontheNWTgovernmentwillbeincreas-ingitspayoutpriceforsealskins.TheGNWThasagreedtopayharvesters70perskinanincreaseof15.AccordingtoIndustryMinisterDavidRamsaythepriceincreaseisanefforttostimulatethesupplyofsealskinsaspartofthegov-ernmentsHideProcurementProgramwhichaimstooff-setthebanimposedonsealskinimportsbytheEuropeanUnionwhileprotectingtheterritorystraditionaleconomyespeciallyinBeaufortcommunities.PollutionfromwinterfrackingraisesquestionsfurthernorthByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnewreportshowinghighlevelsofozonepollutionlinkedtofrackingincoldmountain-ousregionsintheU.S.hasscientistswonderingwhethersimilarimpactsaregoingun-detectedinpartsofCanadawhereoilandgasdrillingistakingplace.ThestudypublishedintheNaturejournalfoundthatemissionsfromoilandgasoperationsarecausingex-tremewinterozonepollutioneventsinruralareasofUtahandWyomingwherefrackinghasrapidlyexpandedpushingconcentrationsbeyondsafeairqualityguidelines.WhilethestudyfocusedonthewesternU.S.scientistssayasimilarscenariocouldbeplayingoutnearfrackingoperationsinCanadaespe-ciallynearmountainswherewinterweatherisabletotrapemissionsthatcreateozone.GiventheextremeozonethatwasobservedinUtahIthinkitiscertainlyworthyofconsiderationbeforefrackingisundertakenanywhereinCanadasaidCoraYoungofMemorialUniversityinNew-foundlandoneofthestudysauthors.ScientistsmonitoredtheairinaUtahmountainbasinfrom2012to2014wheretheydis-coveredthathighlevelsofvol-atileorganiccompoundsandnitrogenoxideswhichreacttoformozoneweretrappedbyatmosphericinversionsduringthewinter.Sunlightreectingoffthesnowfur-theracceleratedthereactioncausingozoneconcentrationstosoarfarbeyondsafelevelssometimeseventwiceashighasinLosAngelesknownforitspoorairquality.NotinoilsandsAlbertagovernmentThegovernmentofAlbertahasalreadydeniedthepossi-bilityofasimilaroccurrencetakingplaceintheoilsandsregionsayingtheclimateandgeographyaretoodifferentbetweenUtahandAlberta.ThereisnotenoughwintersunlightintheoilsandsareatoproducewinterozoneeventsasnotedintheUtahstudysaidAlbertaEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevel-opmentspokespersonJasonMaloney.BecauseNorthernwintersincludesignicantlylesssun-lightYoungtoldTheJournalitwouldbereasonabletosug-gestthatinaregionwithlowerlight...theproblemwouldbelessened.Thatsaidshestatedmea-surementswouldneedtobetakenbeforecomingtoanyconclusions.Maloneysaid160airqual-itymonitoringstationsacrosstheprovincemeasureozoneaspartofambientairqual-itybutnotaroundoilandgasdrillingspecically.Ozoneisnotemittedbyoilandgasfacilities.Assuchfa-cilitiesdonotmonitorforithesaid.Howeverasitisasecondarypollutant...createdthroughthereactionofsun-lightandothersubstancesintheairitwouldberegionallymonitoredforbyvariousair-shedsintheprovince.NWTozonehighestinNormanWellsTheNWTgovernmentcur-rentlymeasuresozonelev-elsinvelocationsaroundtheterritoryinYellowknifeInuvikNormanWellsFortLiardandattheSnareRap-idsaspartofitsairqualitymonitoringprogram.Datafrom2011showedthatthehighestlevelsofozonedetectedwereinNormanWellsfollowedbyYellow-knifethoughallmeasure-mentswerebelowtheNWTsairqualityguidelines.DataforFortLiardwasinvali-datedduetoaninstrumentmalfunction.OnlyonehorizontalfrackingprojecthasbeencarriedoutintheNorth-westTerritoriestodatewithConocoPhillipsdrillingtwoexploratorywellslastwinternearNormanWellsintheMackenzieMountainsthesiteofoilandgasactivityforover70years.BothConocoPhillipsandHuskyhaveplanstocon-tinueexploratoryfrackingintheareaoverthenextveyearsandotherleasesbyoilandgascompaniesshowtheindustrycouldheadtopro-ductioninthenextdecade.Thestudysauthorssaythenewndingsonozonepollutioncouldbeusefulinshapingthemonitoringandmitigationofairqualityim-pactsaroundfrackingespe-ciallyconsideringthehighpotentialforgrowthintheshaleoilandgasindustriesacrossNorthAmerica.WeledehMLABobBrom-leyagreedsayingthewinterweatherphenomenonre-sponsibleforconcentratingemissionsoccursfrequentlyintheNWT.Ibelievewhatishap-peninghereisthatatmo-sphericinversionswhicharecommontocoldcli-matesnotjustmountainscausealackofcirculationandclearingoutoflocalpollutantshesaid.ThisisthesamesituationasweseewithinversionsthatcauseicefogindowntownYel-lowknifeorwhereverandinthesecasesourlocalairpol-lutionhasbeenoffthechart.MountainvalleyswouldlikelycauseextremecasesofthisbutIcouldseeithappeninganywhereinourNorth.Hesaiditissomethingin-dustryandregulatorsshouldbeawareofmonitorandre-portonwithpublicwarn-ingswhenitoccursininhab-itedareas.ConocoPhillipsarestoatmosphereatitsexploratoryshaleoilfrackingsitenearNormanWellslastwinter.PhotoRogerOdgaard