Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 25/02) - A large seismic exploration project in the southern Deh Cho that received the green light from regulators last month may yet undergo an environmental assessment.

The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board is taking a second look at the oil and gas exploration project being undertaken by Anadarko Canada in the Liard Valley. The board has the authority to order an environmental assessment of the project.

"That would be bizarre," said Shane Parrish, CEO of the ADK Corporate Group. Fort Liard's Acho Dene Koe owns ADK, which owns a company that will be working on the project. Parrish said the project has just begun and is expected to be completed within a few months.

At issue is the amount of timber that would be cleared for 1,165 kilometres of cut lines. The grids of seismic lines cover an area of 500 square kilometres near Fort Liard and the Liard River.

An analysis by the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development concluded 104,000 cubic metres of saleable timber, including 75,000 cubic metres of white spruce, will be felled during the project.

Using figures provided by Anadarko, the Acho Dene Koe of Fort Liard questioned those figures. The band estimates 7,500 cubic metres of saleable lumber will be cut.

If the 75,000 cubic metres of spruce sawlogs were harvested by a lumber company, the territorial government would collect $1.4 million in cutting charges, the RWED report stated. Of that, $400,000 would be invested in reforestation.

Unlike most other jurisdictions, oil and gas exploration companies are not charged for timber cut in the Northwest Territories.

Parrish said the timber toll of seismic activity is an issue that should have been resolved long ago.

"Just because someone woke up, does that mean they should stop a project," he said. The band is attempting to develop a protocol to resolve that and other outstanding issues associated with resource development, said Parrish. It hopes to have a protocol developed by the summer.

The RWED report was not a factor in the land and water board's decision to issue the permits. Despite a request from the department, the land and water board refused to extend the deadline for comments on the project.

"We have time frames we are required to meet, if at all possible," said land and water board executive director Bob Wooley.

Community clout

With strong support from the Acho Dene Koe, Anadarko's land-use application was approved by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board after a five-week screening. An identical project proposed by Canadian Forest Oil, which has an stake in the Anadarko project, was ordered to undergo an environmental assessment. After that was announced, Canadian Forest Oil withdrew its application.

What was the difference between the two projects?

"The largest difference, in my mind, is it received the support of the local community," said Wooley.

In addition to having a major influence over the depth of the review, Acho Dene Koe also have a significant financial stake in it. Band-owned Beaver Enterprises will earn $3.3 million for providing construction, camp and catering services for the project.

Though the land and water board acknowledged receiving comments from only the Fort Liard Band, Liidlii Kue First Nation Chief Rita Cli expressed unequivocal opposition to the project in a Dec. 12 letter to the board.