Jason Unrau
Northern News Services
Friday, February 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The National Energy Board has issued a series of conditions for construction of the Mackenzie Gas Project should the project get NEB approval.

Contained in a letter issued to all participants in the NEB pipeline hearing process are more than 40 conditions related to the construction of the 1,200 kilometre pipeline and several more attached to the three gas fields, processing station and related infrastructure.

"Although normally the NEB issues all proposed conditions for comment at the same time, in this case not all potential conditions will be known until the Joint Review Panel has completed its review and has issued its report," said the NEB letter, which referred to the accompanying document as an "early release of proposed conditions."

Because of the complex engineering involved in burying the 30-inch pipeline in continuous and discontinuous permafrost and under rivers and streams, one condition states that lead proponent Imperial Oil must provide an explanation of how the steel pipeline can withstand shifting ground through winter and summer seasons.

This aspect of the pipeline's construction has been a contentious subject throughout NEB hearings, which wrapped up last year, and the ongoing Joint Review Panel hearings.

Concerns of melting permafrost along the pipeline's right-of-way have created doubt about the pipeline's long-term structural integrity.

The NEB has also asked proponents for an emergency response plan to address worker and public safety and the regulator has asked Imperial to file more information about its plans 60 days before construction begins.