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TuesdayOctober14201411ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheremightnotbeanyfrackinghappeningintheNWTthisyearbutthatdidntstoptheindustrysopponentsfrommakingsomenoiseonSaturdayinYellowknifeaspartoftheworldwideGlobalFrackdownprotest.ThereslotsoftestimonyfromaroundtheworldnowitdoesntmatterontheprovinceorstateorcountrywheremanypeopleareshowingtotheTVcamerasnowthattheycansettheirdrinkingwateronfiresaidLorraineHewlettoftheNWTChapteroftheCouncilofCanadianswhichorganizedtheevent.Itsreallyimportanttoustoprotectourwatersupplyandprotectthelandandtoencouragegovernmentstobe100percentrenewablewhenitcomestoenergytogetoffoffossilfuelsasquicklyaspossibleandnotgodownthisroadoftryingtousealltheoilthatsintheground.Becausewewonthaveaplanetleftifweburnalltheoilthatsinthegroundshesaid.Around25peoplejoinedtheCouncilofCanadiansontherainySaturdaytomarchfromSombaKePlazatoNorthernUnitedPlacetotakepartinaninformationses-siononfrackingthatincludedascreeningofthedocumentaryShowdownwhichfo-cusesontheongoinganti-frackingprotestsinNewBrunswick.FrackingonlyrecentlycameontotheradarofresidentsintheNorthwestTerri-torieswhereConocoPhillipsdidthefirsthorizontalhydraulicfracturingintheSahturegionnearNormanWellslastwinter.OtherapplicationsbyConocoPhillipsandHuskytodrillmorewellsoverthenextfiveyearswereapprovedbytheregionallandandwaterboardwithoutreferringthemtoanenvironmentalassessmentearlierthisyear.Thoughneithercompanyplanstodoanyfrackingthiswintertheapprovalsstillan-geredthosewithconcernsabouttheuncon-ventionalshaleoilextractionmethod.WecertainlycantpursuethedevelopmentofoilandgasatthecostoftheenvironmentespeciallysincetheNorthwestTerritorieshasalargeFirstNationspopulationwhereitstra-ditionaltoliveoffthelandhuntingmooseandcaribou...IfyourlandispoisonedthenyourfoodsourceispoisonedHewlettsaid.Anti-frackinggroupsliketheCouncilofCa-nadianshavebeencriticizedbysomeSahtuleadersincludingMLANormanYakeleyawhosaiditisntrightforpeopleoutsideoftheregiontointerferewithmattersrelatedtotheeconomywhereunemploymentratesarehigh.Yellowknifeshouldmindtheirownbusi-nessiswhatIthinktheMLAtoldTheJour-nalagainlastweek.Dontpeoplerealizethattheanti-frackinggroupskeeppeopleinastateofpovertyButHewlettsaiditistheminorityofpeopleintheSahtuwhostandtomakemoneyofftheindustrywhoareinsupportoffrackingwhiletheremainderremainun-certainoropposedtoithappeningontheirland.Shesaidtheprotestisashowofsoli-darityforthoseintheSahtuemphasizingthatotherpeopleintheNWTcare.WewanttoshowthepeopleoftheSahtuthattheyhavesupportinotherplacesintheNWTandthatwereconcernedabouttheirhealthandwellbeingandthehealthandwellbeingoftheanimalsandthelandHewlettsaid.ProtestersmarchagainstfrackinginYellowknifeTheAuroraCollegeSpeakerSeriesPresentsDr.DonaldHendersonRESEARCHPRESENTATION700p.m.FOSSILIDENTIFICATIONByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithlowpricesandstillnoprojectnanc-inginsightAvalonRareMetalsisclosingitsexplorationcampforthewinterandpostpon-ingconstructiononitsNechalachoraremet-alsmineintheNorthwestTerritoriesuntilnextsummerattheearliest.Depressedcommoditypricesgener-allyandreduceddemandforrareearthsinparticularhavemadeaccessingcapitalforlargescaleresourcedevelopmentprojectslikeNechalachoverychallenginginrecentmonthsthecompanystatedinaprogressupdatelastweek.TheToronto-basedcompanyhadplannedtostartconstructiononitsminenearThorLake100kmeastofYellowknifeearlynextyearbutsawadiveintherareearthsmarket.Nowthecompanyiswaitingfordemandforraremetalstorecoversoitcanhopefullyattractnancingandstartworkbynextsum-merbasedonforecaststhatglobaldemandwillrisesubstantiallyby2017.Adecitisforecastforthoserareearthsinhigherdemand...Ifnewsupplysourcesdonotsoonemergeforthesecriticalrareearthsthenitisinevitablethattherewillbeupwardpressureonpricesagainbeforelongstatedthecompany.Aone-monthdrillingprogramwascom-pletedatNechalachoinAugusttoretrievemorebulksamplesmeanttotestoutitsfu-turemetallurgicalplantoncenancingisinplace.Theonlyothersignicantworkdonein2014accordingtothecompanywastreeclearingtoprepareforconstruction.Anupdatedfeasibilitystudyisnowinprep-arationandrevisedcapitalandoperatingcostsarecurrentlybeingnalizedstatestheupdate.Thoseupdatedcostsaredependentonwherethecompanydecidestosituateitsmetallurgicalplant.Thecompanyhaschangedplansfortheplantnumeroustimessincebeginningtheproject.TheformerPinePointmineintheNWTwastheoriginallyproposedsitefortheplantbutinfrastructureoverheadandanunavailabilityofrequiredchemicalsforcedthecompanytolookfurthersouth.WhileAvalonnowhasaparceloflandinLouisianapickedoutforthereneryandplanthighcostsoftransportingtheorebyrailnowhavethecompanylookingsomewherecloserlikeSaskatchewanwherethreeindus-trialsiteshavebeenidentiedaspromising.Accordingtothecompanyprojectdevel-opmentisscheduledtotakethreeyearsfromthetimetheysecurenancing.NechalachohasalandusepermitandTypeBwaterlicenceinplacefromtheMackenzieValleyLandandWaterBoardforpre-con-structionactivitiesandiscurrentlypur-suingitsfullTypeApermitstobeginfullconstructionandoperationsatthemine.Finalpublichearingswillbescheduledinearly2015.PricedroplackofnancingforcesAvalontoholdoffminingworkinNWTINDUSTRYMININGENVIRONMENTFRACKINGYellowknifersmarchagainstfrackinginthecitysrstGlobalFrackdownprotestlastOctober.About25peopleturnedoutforthisyearsmarchonSaturday.Filephoto