On June 12, the power company applied to the NWT Water Board to pump water from MacKay Lake through a series of existing water courses on the Barnston River to a powerhouse at the mouth of the Barnstown River in McLeod Bay, Great Slave Lake.

Then on June 19, Glacier Power filed another application, this time, for a power plant near the mouth of the Hoarfrost River at McLeod Bay on Great Slave Lake.

The Hoarfrost powerhouse would be 270 km. east of Yellowknife, requiring 6 kilometres of canals, two dams and a tunnel.

The first application outlines three power plants -- Barnston 1, 2 and 3. The highest weir at the headpond raises the water level about 10 metres.

These power plants are required to serve three identified loads in the Lac de Gras area, according to Glacier's application.

But no specific commercial customers have yet been identified by Glacier Power in the application or by the company's president Doug Main.

"There's no new information on financing or mine sites (that might be interested) -- nothing there right now," says Main.

"We found out about it along with everybody else, " says BHP public affairs spokesman Graham Nicolls.

"We're building our own (diesel) power plant at the site. We have to -- there's no alternative. That's not to say there might not be a proposal or project we might take in the future. It will have to be seen if Glacier or others can come up with a feasible project and offer cheaper power than the use of diesel. This is hypothetical. But in the meantime, we're proceeding with a diesel power generating plant at the site. We would still have to maintain diesel at the site for backup," says Nicholls.

BHP needs the diesel power plant completed by the fall of 1998. The foundation is in, the steel is being erected, says Nicholls. In the meantime, there's temporary power at the site.

The Hoarfrost dam's dimensions would be 45 metres high by 170 metres wide, raising the water level 40 metres.

"It's a very narrow long valley that it's in and that high dam was necessary in order to get sufficent drop for the power plant. The speed of the water doesn't really increase but you have more energy from it," says Main.

"I would really not choose to build the Hoarfrost, it's really meant as an alternative," says Main.

"The intention is not to proceed with that facility (Hoarfrost) immediately. We would not proceed with any environmental work unless we perceive there's a problem with the Barnston project."

According to the application, "the hoarfrost power plant would replace any one of the Barnston power plants should the water licence for one of the Barnston power plants appear unlikely to proceed." Also, the Hoarfrost would be in addition to the three Barnston power plants if the Lac de Gras load additions are significantly higher than anticipated.

The plant would reduce greenhouse gases by 1.4 million tonnes and thousands of tonnes of carbon monoxide, sulpher dioxide, nitrous oxides and other emissions during its first 25 years of operation, according to the application.

Glacier has asked the water board for a 25-year water licence for the Hoarfrost power plant.

Bill Braden of the NWT Power Corporation describes it as "a bold plan like the whole diamond venture -- big in scale and scope."

"We're interested in the approach. We're also considering our response to the Water Board which has asked for a response on the applications, but for now, there's no comment. The NWT Water Board has asked for a reply by July 4," Braden says.

Jim McCaul is the Acting Manager with DIAND's Water Resources Division. He provides technical advice to the NWT Water Board. His division manages the licences and prepares DIAND interventions.

The power company has applied for a level 2 screening, so it will go for a regional environmental review, says McCaul. If the effects are felt to be severe, it would be elevated to a public panel review. If not, it would remain at level 2.

The proposals call for altering the watersheds and a 350 km. power corridor from the powerhouse to the Lac de Gras area.

There is a residence at the mouth of the Hoarfrost River, about 500 metres from the proposed powerhouse. Pilot and author Dave Olesen has lived year-round at the cabin since 1990, and no other people winter nearby, according to the application.

Regulatory approvals and environmental studies should take a year, detailed design, a year and procurement and construction, another two years.