BAFFIN ISLAND
A proposed seismic survey project off the eastern coast of Baffin Island is facing criticism from various hamlets and organizations which believe marine life would be put in jeopardy by the extensive testing.
Three companies - TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company, Petroleum Geo-Services and Multi Klient Invest - applied to the National Energy Board (NEB) in 2011 for authorization to conduct a five-year exploratory survey of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait.
The NEB hosted public meetings in Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Qikiqtarjuaq and Iqaluit at the end of April and beginning of May to report on the project, entitled the Northeastern Canada 2D Marine Seismic Survey, and gather written comments from the public.
Clyde River councillor Jerry Natanine, who attended the meeting on April 30, said he was one of many residents wondering how marine life would be affected by the survey testing, which is conducted when boats use high-powered air guns to record sound waves bounced off geological formations beneath the sea bed. The results would help determine whether oil or gas deposits are present in the area.
"Our biggest concern is the one for marine life and the environment," Natanine said.
During the same meeting, a concerned resident asked about potential oil spills, and whether it was possible to clean them up in the winter.
The reply from one of the company representatives, Natanine said, was simple: it's not their problem.
"We thought they wanted to find out what kind of ecosystem was down there but it turns out they only want the information to sell it to oil companies," he added. "We're hoping other communities will oppose it because once the oil companies get that information, there's no stopping them."
There is concern that shrimp, turbot and seals would be harmed by the testing.
Natanine said if the companies plan on going ahead with the project, the hamlet would take drastic action.
"We're planning on applying for a human rights violation if they go ahead with it," he said. "We want the people united in opposing this."
The Hunters and Trappers Organization of Clyde River and the Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization in Pond Inlet have also spoken out against the survey.
In Pond Inlet, more than 200 people have signed a petition against the project, representing almost 20 per cent of the hamlet's population.
Members of the community contacted the NEB to make sure they hadn't missed the deadline for public input.
"They said that because the project had been mentioned a lot in the media, the deadline was extended," said Pond Inlet resident Jen Inuarak, who helped gather the signatures. "We did the same a few years ago when we submitted a petition to stop seismic testing in Lancaster Sound. We went to court and it worked."
Besides the NEB, the petition was also sent to the territorial minister of Environment, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, the Nunavut Impact Review Board and Qikiqtani Inuit Association.
Inuarak said she was disappointed a large majority of her questions were ignored at the meeting.
According to an environmental impact assessment published by Multi Klient Invest in 2011, there have been "no historical or current documented measurable cumulative physical environmental effects on any marine organism that can be attributed to, in part, a seismic energy source operating within the survey region."
The same document states that a safety zone of 500 metres from the sound source to marine mammals will be established during the testing.
When this was brought up at the Clyde River meeting, a resident spoke up, saying he had worked on seismic testing ships before. He said there was no way of knowing whether there was any marine life 500 metres away because it was simply too far.
Assistant deputy minister Steve Pinksen said the Government of Nunavut is encouraged by the fact the NEB is carrying out these public meetings, and that consultations of this nature were sparse a few years ago.
"Seismic testing can be a useful tool for marine research and gathering information but these communities have concerns and those need to be listened to and responded to," he said. "The research suggests there can be some risks. Our response to the NEB is we suggested they engage the fishing industry to make sure they're aware of this, and that any possible concerns about disruptions are dealt with."
At the legislative assembly on May 14, Environment Minister Joe Arreak said the government would continue to work with the communities on the eastern coast to ensure their concerns are heard.
"In any kind of testing of our waters, we have to know what's going on within Nunavut," he said. "We will keep working with the communities."
