Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Apr 30/04) - As the paperwork mounts and rumblings from the Deh Cho about court injunctions can be heard from the south, members of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline's Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Chairs Executive Committee who met in Inuvik last week insist the process is on schedule.

"We are keeping a steady course as planned and there is no need to adjust our timelines," said National Energy Board chairman Kenneth Vollman. "We will be ready to receive an application on the Mackenzie Gas Project this summer."

Following significant public concern, all three environmental assessors -- The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, the Inuvialuit Game Council and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency -- have referred the gas project to a joint review environmental assessment panel.

Panel seating not determined

However, those who will actually sit on that panel have yet to be determined. Officials from the Northern Gas Project Secretariat -- a body established to ensure easy and efficient public access to the environmental and regulatory assessment -- say this process should be completed by the end of June.

Allocation of seats has been a bone of contention for the Deh Cho, who are threatening court action if they don't get two seats on the panel.

According to the pipeline's Co-operation Plan, the Deh Cho are only afforded observer status.

Also, the Deh Cho's 2003 Interim Measures Agreement with DIAND regarding its land claim gives the federal ministry jurisdiction to deal with any development issues during land claim negotiations.

Nevertheless, without an application from the producers, the pipeline still remains an idea.

"Until there's an application, there is no project," said Vollman.

Once the application is filed, the NEB will review the environmental impact and regulatory issues. This stage is to be followed by more public hearings expected to stretch into June 2005.

Probably not good news for Peter Ross, Chief of Tsiigehtchic, who, at the last round of public consultations at the end of March, expressed the concern that the region was being consulted too much and that eventually this would discourage public participation.

NGPS Executive Director Brian Chambers remained confident that the current approach, perhaps with some modifications, is working.

"We have heard that in places there is too much and in others not enough," he said. "We are taking all this into consideration."