Canadian Arctic Resources Committee - Programmes


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		Issues - Oil and Gas CARC Oil and Gas Programme Vision: CARC's work on oil and gas development is premised upon ten principles that we believe should be preconditions to the continued extraction of fossil fuels from the North. Our vision for Northern fossil fuel extraction activities includes carefully managed and staged development, to provide real and lasting returns to the Northern economy and long-term jobs for Northern communities. We believe that the North, Canada, and the world as a whole need to shift consumption patterns toward renewable and sustainable forms of energy. We recognize that this shift will take significant time and effort. We are also mindful that the North is one of the areas that will be the earliest and most heavily affected by climate change. We believe that a truly sustainable energy policy needs to be developed for the North and for Canada. This policy should focus on renewable and "clean" forms of energy, such as wind and solar, and promote conservation of our finite resources. Background: To restore and maintain the social and economic well-being of northern communities, the health of ecosystems, and the wildlife and people that rely on them, ecologically and culturally sensitive land and waters must remainfree of resource development. Where development is appropriate, it must conform to northern values, benefit northern peoples, and contribute to sustainable communities. Should any oil or gas development proposal meet reasonable environmental assessment criteria, we will work toward the use of best practices, reduction of ecological footprints, and maximum retention of economic benefits in the North. No position is taken on an Alaska Highway or Mackenzie Valley route for any potential pipelines, but the construction of either is neither inevitable nor environmentally desirable. We support the following principles. We believe that they are fully achievable given appropriate commitment and funding from both government and industry. 1. Canadian Interests Canadian interests must be respected in any oil/gas or pipeline development for the benefit of the United States. The export of new oil and gas from the North and/or use of northern Canadian lands for pipelines must be based on the following commitments from the United States that they will: * rejoin international negotiations to reach an international agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; * protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from any oil and gas exploration; and * introduce and maintain energy demand management measures and develop renewable energy. At the same time, it is expected that Canada will implement the Kyoto Protocol. These efforts must include a new sustainable energy policy based on significant new investment in the renewable energy sector and conservation measures. Canada must ensure that any and all relevant international agreements will be complied with to the extent that oil and gas development takes place in the North. 2. Fully Funded and Integrated Environmental Management Regime A fully funded and integrated environmental management regime must be in place and operational before any further major oil or gas development in theCanadian North. This includes * regional land use plans must be completed and approved; * environmental assessment processes must be rigorous, examine the need for and alternatives to energy projects (including the no-go option), provide for meaningful intervener funding, ensure a broad assessment of cumulative effects, implement the precautionary principle and full-cost accounting, and establish timelines that will encourage the full participation of northerners at all stages. Existing corridors and disturbed areas must be used to the greatest extent possible; * land and water management must be strictly enforced and based on best available technology and publicly reported monitoring with independent oversight. Full security measures must be in place in case of accidents or malfunctions and for dismantling, removal, and restoration; and * cumulative effects management systems must be fully implemented, with monitoring of overall environmental quality trends and measures to ensure that human activities stay within defined thresholds to protect ecological integrity. 3. Protected Areas in Advance of Development A system of protected areas that includes ecologically and culturally representative, large self-regulating ecosystems, and key wildlife habitat areas must be identified and reserved fro legal protection through the protected areas strategies and other legal means in both the NWT and Yukon, prior to development of northern oil and gas resources or use of the North for a pipeline. 4. Aboriginal Rights Any development in the North must fully respect and be consistent with Aboriginal rights as defined in the Canadian Constitution, common law, treaties, and land claim and self-government agreements. 5. Fair Return and Fair Distribution of Revenues The Canadian federal government must increase land, water, oil and gas fees and royalties to ensure fair and equitable return to the public purse for the use and extraction of these public resources. A significant portion of these revenues must be set aside for use in alternative and renewable energy development and economic diversification for northern communities, including import substitution toward locally sustainable communities. Remaining revenues should be split among federal, territorial, and Aboriginal governments. 6. Northern Benefits Socio-economic impacts of further oil and gas development must be fully assessed, monitored, and publicly reported. Development should be scaled to local needs and capacity and reflect full-cost accounting. Measures to maximize the retention of economic benefits in the North must be implemented, including impact and benefit agreements, socio-economic agreements, training programs, and economic diversification funds. Current Articles: Top = Most Recent 11/03/05 - New Pipeline Study Draws Stark Choices - Maps and related documents. 07/05/05 - CARC Releases DVD video entitled - 'Proposed MacKenzie Gas Project Pipeline in the Dehcho Territory (A Computer Generated Flythrough) 06/06/05 - A PEAK INTO THE FUTURE - Potential Landscape Impacts of Gas Development in Northern Canada [1.9MB .PDF File] - Related JPGs: [365KB] [412KB] 06/06/05 - NEWS RELEASE - New study shows potential land disturbance from Northern gas development [Word .DOC File] 01/04/05 - CARC Releases Mapping Study of the Cumulative Effects of the Mackenzie Gas Project Mackenzie Pipeline to fuel America’s Gas Tank Mackenzie Pipeline Backgrounder SUBMISSION - CARC's submission on the draft Cooperation Plan for a coordinated environmental assessment and regulatory process for a potential Mackenzie Valley pipeline. PRESS RELEASE - CARC's submission on the draft Cooperation Plan for a coordinated environmental assessment and regulatory process for a potential Mackenzie Valley pipeline. Review and Regulatory Processes for Northern Pipeline Projects [Word .DOC File]