ARCHIVED – Workshop Meeting Summary – 26 January 2011

Arctic Offshore Drilling Review

Workshop Meeting Summary

Date and Location

Date	Location
Wednesday 26 January 2011 2:10 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.	Ulukhaktok HTC Office Ulukhaktok, NT

Purpose: Arctic Offshore Drilling Review workshop meeting with the Ulukhaktok Hunters & Trappers Committee and the Community Corporation Members

Participants

Participants
Colin Okheena Joshua Oliktoak Mary Jane Nigiyuk Joseph Haluksit Adam Inuktaluk John Alikamik Sadie Joss Lillian Kanayok Angela Kuneyuna Joanne Ogina Liverna Klengenberg Joseph Kitekudlak Margaret Kanayok Richard Notaina Robert Kuptana
Doug Esogak	Inuvialuit Game Council
Steve Baryluk	Joint Secretariat
Jimmy Kalinek	Inuvialuit Game Council
Gaétan Caron	Chair and Chief Executive Officer, NEB
David Hamilton	Member, NEB
Brian Chambers	Northern Advisor, NEB
Bharat Dixit	Technical Leader, Conservation of Resources, NEB
Pamela Romanchuk	Environmental Specialist, NEB
Susan Gudgeon	Northern Coordinator, Arctic Offshore Drilling Review, NEB

Introductory Remarks (NEB):

• An overview of the Arctic Offshore Drilling Review was provided, including the mandate of the NEB, the events leading up to the Review and the various phases of the Review.
• The HTC and CC members were asked what can you tell us about your community, land and environment that offshore drilling may affect?

Dialogue with HTC and CC members:

In response to the question put forward, a number of areas of interest and concern were raised by HTC and CC members, including:

1. Emergency Response and Preparedness:
   
   
   • If an oil spill happens where will the boats and ice breakers come from around here
   • Isn't it the blow out preventers that failed even though it was supposed to be fail proof?
   • Isn't a relief well supposed to take less time than a well?
   • If there was a spill and support vessels had to come to help they would likely be from Halifax and that would be expensive – will there be a fund set up for that – they might not even be able to come
     
2. General:
   
   
   • If there are funds for groups to come from communities to Inuvik, will that be the same for environmental groups?
   • Don't want environmental groups coming to Inuvik to tell the people what to do
   • Are there different types of wells?
   • What changes will happen between when there was drilling in the '70's and '80's and now
   • Imperial said that thier equipment is up-to-date but still something happened in the Gulf
   • Will the oil from the Gulf come to the Beaufort someday?
   • Saw the birds and fish dying in the Gulf – they couldn't protect the fish or anything
   • Having meetings to be put together so everyone hear everything is good – youth could be invited as well
   • It's scary that one mistake could compromise everything
   • How close has drilling come to start again in the Gulf?
   • Are there on-site inspections and how often are inspections done?
   • Environment and wildlife monitors should have the same powers on ships to shut down activities
     
     
3. Unique Arctic Environment and Currents:
   
   
   • When meeting with Imperial the concern with the current was brought up
   • If the current starts moving ice everyone knows you can't stay around
   • Is there anywhere in the world where there was a spill under the ice and how was it cleaned up?
   • People spoke out and told Imperial about changes in the weather and the boat wouldn't withstand all the ice and they said they knew everything and would build a boat that would be special
   • The temperatures are a lot colder and maybe no one, even industry, has tested in the north and at that depth – how will they know the equipment will work?
   • Tuktoyaktuk is far away but when seal tagging is done it shows they go all over just like the current
   • Told Imperial that something will come up from the area where the drilling is because logs come up along the west coast
   • Imperial was asked how long it would take for something to come by the current
   • If oil was to spill or leak how would the temperature affect the oil – would it get thicker and sink?
   • Saw how many years it took to clean up in Alaska and they even tried to use hot water – what could be done here when it is so cold?
   • It takes so long for plants to recover in the Arctic but what about the water and shoreline – marine mammals feed close to the shorelines
     
     
4. Value of Resources:
   
   
   • It isn't just clean up that is an issue but compensation for loss of wildlife to buy food rather than getting food off the land
   • No amount of compensation can pay for the wildlife – it would never come back
   • Money can come and go but all the people have is the wildlife

Concluding Remarks and Follow-up Matters:

• NEB encourages continued participation in the Review