Photo: ConocoPhillips
The NWT’s first fracking project, carried out by ConocoPhillips over the winter, was approved last summer without a public review.
A federal report recommending Canadian jurisdictions mind the gap in scientific knowledge on the impacts of fracking has not deterred the NWT government from believing it can effectively monitor the burgeoning industry alongside development.
The recent Council of Canadian Academies report, commissioned by the federal government, advises regulators to exercise caution in advancing the already-booming shale gas and oil extraction process, of which little is known in terms of the impacts on the environment and human health.
Though aware of the scientific gaps presented by the report, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger said the recently established NWT energy regulator will stay the course on developing what is new industrial frontier for the territory, with only one exploratory fracking project in the NWT approved to date.
“We are of the opinion, as government, that we can manage this with the existing processes that are there,” he said. “There’s still a small number of fracking projects, so we’re of the opinion that we can balance off protecting the environment and the water at the same time as manage this sustainable development.”
Hundreds of people across the territory have been calling for a full environmental assessment of fracking since the first project, carried out by ConocoPhillips over the winter, was approved last summer without a public review.
A recent petition of more than 700 signatures asked the GNWT to refer the next application – placed by Husky Energy last month – to the review board, but a recent submission from the territorial government indicated it felt there would not be “significant adverse impacts.”
While opposing voices are being heard and counted, Miltenberger said the government is confident its regulatory regime can adequately address concerns without going through the lengthy and expensive assessment process.
“Environmental assessment is not an end in itself,” he said. “We can achieve the same ends by doing the things we’re doing, the way we’re doing it, as would possibly be achieved through a much longer process.”
NWT fracking guidelines still in the works
The GNWT recently signed contracts with both the National Energy Board (NEB) and the Alberta Energy Regulator to provide technical support to the new NWT regulator, and is in the process of developing its own fracking guidelines to accompany the new NEB filing requirements it inherited as of Apr. 1.
Though the Council of Academies report found that regulations in other jurisdictions where fracking is ongoing, such as Alberta, “are not based on strong science and remain untested,” Miltenberger said the NWT will be adapting its rules as new technical information arises on the areas of leaky well casings, fracking fluids, wastewater and air quality flagged by the report.
To date, the GNWT has spent $1 million to initiate groundwater mapping and collect baseline data on wildlife throughout the Sahtu region, where the fracking is occurring. Though the GNWT’s own policy guidelines on fracking have yet to be completed, those are expected to come out by early winter.
“We’ve been working for two years now on getting our thinking clear on what improvements are needed to the filing requirements so that when it comes to fracking we are looking at best practices…and we continue to adjust as technology and science improves in this area,” Miltenberger said.
Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ramsay, who serves as head of the new NWT regulator, said movement on fracking is being done cautiously in the territory as the GNWT settles into its brand-new role as regulator.
“We don’t want to be making decisions that we’re going to regret. We need to ensure that we’re able to better understand the new roles and responsibilities that we have, and then we can make changes,” he said.
“That was the reason for devolution: so that policy direction, the legislation, the way things work would be in our hands, and it is in our hands. We will look at ways we can improve the system as we go forward.”