NWT - The federal and territorial governments officially released their final response to the Joint Review Panel's report on the Mackenzie Gas Pipeline project Nov. 15.

ENR Minister Michael Miltenberger says the government has addressed the JRP's concerns. - NNSL file photo

The JRP report, issued in Dec. 2009, listed 115 recommendations to mitigate the environmental impacts of the proposed pipeline. Of those 115 recommendations, the GNWT has fully backed only 11, while accepting the intent of 88 more. Governments flatly rejected 27 of the recommendations, saying most are outside the scope of the JRP.

Meanwhile, the panel has made clear it believes the proponents should accept all of the recommendations if the project is to go ahead, and all parties now await the National Energy Board's ruling on the pipeline, which is expected by the end of December.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger said in most cases the government has only conditionally accepted a recommendation rather than agreeing to follow it as the JRP set out because other government programs or agreements already work toward the recommendation's goal.

"What it means is they're good ideas that, in some cases, are being dealt with through other processes, be it work we're doing on our greenhouse gas strategy, work we're doing on other environmental processes and health issues anyway," Miltenberger said via a phone teleconference from Argentina.

For example, the government has "accepted the intent" of recommendations dealing with follow-up activities after the proposed pipeline is built, such as the NWT/Nunavut Spills working agreement and a proposed air quality monitoring strategy. Many of these recommendations the governments have not fully committed to implementing so as not to "fetter" future regulatory decisions for other projects.

"In regards to future activities there will be processes separate from the current JRP process that we've just concluded," Miltenberger said.

Some of the recommendations the GNWT has rejected as outside the panel's scope include greenhouse gas reduction policies and transition plans to chart long-term priorities as soon as construction begins.

He said he takes "exception" to the suggestion that the governments' 127-page response trivializes the JRP's concerns and attempts to push them aside.

"We have addressed the concerns," he said. "We are of the clear opinion that we have and will continue to address and protect the opinion of Northerners. The JRP has played a role, but now it's time for governments to step in and carry forward with the business of the people of the Northwest Territories, which we're doing."

The GNWT's full response, signed off with the federal government, is available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency's website.

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