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TuesdayApril720153INDUSTRYOILGASPlatinumSponsorChemicaldisclosuremustbemandatoryfrackingcriticsContinuedfrompage1.Noteveryoneseesthenewregulationsasenhancementshowever.Criticscontinuetodemanddisclosureoffrackinguidsandchemicals-mostofwhicharehighlytoxictohumansandtheenvironment-bemademandatoryratherthanleftuptothediscre-tionofcompanies.WhatIndastoundingisthattwoorthreeweeksagotheObamaadministrationmadefulldisclosuremandatoryonpublicandtriballandsintheStatessothisiswherethewholediscus-sionisgoingremarkedLoisLittleco-chairoftheNWTchapteroftheCouncilofCanadi-ansandamemberofFrackingActionNorth.Whyintheworldwouldwebesoregressiveintermsofmaintainingthestatusquowhenre-searchisdailygivingpeoplecauseforconcernandalotofthathastodowiththechemicalsusedandprivacyindustryholdssheasked.CompanieslookingtoconductfrackingintheSahtupromisedtheNEBin2013thatde-spitethelackofamandatoryrequirementallfrackingchemicalswouldbedisclosedtothepublicbeforeandafterfrackingawell.ThatpromisealignswiththeCanadianAssocia-tionofPetroleumProducersownfrackingguidelinesforcompanies.ConocoPhillipsthesolecompanytocarryouthorizontalfracturingintheNWTtodatemadegoodonitswordwhiledrillingtwoex-ploratorywellsnearNormanWellslastyearprovidingalistofallpossiblechemicalstobeusedintheirfractureprogramandtheirconcentrationsaswellasalistofthoseac-tuallyusedfollowingeachfrac.Evensotherearethosewhosaygapsstillexistinthedepthofinformationprovidedbycompaniesintheirdisclosures.ArecentreportbytheUSEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyontheindustry-runandcommonlyacceptedbestpracticefordisclosure-anonlinesitecalledFracFocus-showedatleastoneingre-dientwasclaimedcondentialinmorethan70percentofdisclosures.Despitethevoluntarynatureoftherequire-mentEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersaidtheGNWTplanstomakenoteofanycompanyunwillingtoshareitsinformationandtakethatintoconsiderationduringtheapprovalsprocess.IftheyrefuseitwillbereectedofcourseontheirapplicationMiltenbergersaid.HesaidregulationsintheNWTwillcon-tinuetoevolvealongwithbestpracticesac-knowledgingtherecentpushformandatorydisclosureintheU.S.Thisisgoingtobeongoingaslegislationchangesanddevelopmentsoccurandwegetbetteratthis.Weregoingtoensurewerestayingabreastofallthebestpracticesforthebenetofeverybodyhesaid.PublictohaveinputThedraftregulationswerepublishedonMar.31andarenowopentothepublicforcomment.A90-dayreviewandengagementperiodwhichwillincludestopsin11com-munitiesacrosstheNWTbeginsthisweekonApr.9inInuvik.Aboriginalgovernmentsexistingoilandgasregulatorscompaniesandindustrylobby-istswillalsobeincludedintheconsultation.InputfromtheengagementsessionswillbemadeavailableonlineonaregularbasisandchangestotheregulationsarescheduledtobecompletedbyJuneorJulywithnalreg-ulationsbroughtintoeffectbyAugust2015.DespitetheopportunityforsomepublicinputLittlesaidtheGNWTiswrongtoas-sumethatNWTresidentswantanyamountoffrackingintheterritory.ThedecisionhasntbeenmadeinanypublicwaythatNorthernerswanttogetintothefrack-inggame.Itsabitpresumptuousofthesefolksespeciallywhenoutliningtheso-calledNorth-ernvaluesandthatkindofdevolutiontalkshesaidnotingthattheSahtuSecretariatInc.hascalledforacomprehensiveregionalreviewoffrackingwhiletheGwichinTribalCouncilandDeneNationhavedemandedamorato-riumontheunconventionaldrillingpractice.IfapprovedtheregulationswouldapplyonlytoonshoreareasoftheNWTlocatedoutsideoftheNormanWellsprovenareatheInuvialuitSettlementRegionandotherfederalareas.TheNEBrequirementswillremaininef-fectuntilthenewrulesareapprovedandwouldstayinplaceinthecasethatthepro-posalisrejected.Ascheduleofthepublicengagementsessionscanbefoundonlineathttpwww.iti.gov.nt.caPhotoRogerOdgaardAtruckcontainingwastewaterfromConocoPhillipsfrackingsitejackknifesonthewinterroadnearNormanWellsinMarch2014.Possiblespillsareoneofthekeyreasonsthepublicispushingformandatorydisclosureofuidsandchemicalsassociatedwithfracking.GNWTgaugespublicopinionwithoilandgassurveyByDALICARMICHAELOneyearintodevolutiontheGNWTisalmostnishednailingdownastrategyforincreasingoilandgasresourcedevelopmentintheterritoryonlynowtheywanttohearwhatcitizenshavetosayaboutthematter.WiththeOilandGasStrategysettolaunchinJulythedepartmentofIndustryTourismandInvestmentITIhasreleasedanonlinesurveytogaugepublicopiniononthesectortheresultsofwhichwillbeincorporatedintothenaldocument.Thesurveylists11questionsaboutthein-dustryaskingwhatelementspeopleareawareofandwhattheywishtoknowmoreabout.Someoftheitemsonthelistincludedrillinghydraulicfracturingorfrackingtranspor-tationofresourcesthroughpipelinesversusothermethodsoffshoredrillingprocessingandreningpolicyframeworkssocio-eco-nomicbenetsandpotentialenvironmentalimpactsandmanagement.Thesurveyalsoquerieswherecitizensgettheirinformationonthesectorandwhatifany-thingabouttheindustryisconcerningtothem.ItalsoaskswhattheextentoftheGNWTsroleintheevolvingsectorshouldbe.WhiletheNWThashostedoilandgasre-sourcedevelopmentinitiativesfordecadestheGNWThasstatedithopestomakesureresidentsbetterunderstandboththeissuessurroundingitanditspotentialbenets.WiththeterritorysdependenceonminingratesslowlydecliningtheGNWThasbeenbusypromotingthedevelopmentofoilandgasasanalternativemeansofdiversifyingandstrengtheningtheterritoryseconomytobothnationalandinternationalaudiences.TheNWTOilandGasStrategywillpro-videaplantodeveloptheterritorysvastpe-troleumresourcesinasafeandresponsiblemannerwhileencouraginglastingeconomicgrowthandopportunitiesforthepeopleoftheNWTsaidITIMinisterDavidRamsay.ToensuretheprioritiesofallcommunitiesarereectedIencouragethepublictopro-videtheirinputandhelpusshapethefutureofthepetroleumindustryinthisterritory.Tolloutthesurveyheadtohttpswww.surveymonkey.comrNWT_oilandgas.ThedeadlineforinputisApr.30.PhotoJeanPolfusTulitaresidentsgetatourofMGMsoperationsintheSahtuin2013.INDUSTRYOILGAS