1. COOPERATION PLAN for the EIA and Regulatory Review of an NWT Pipeline Ricki Hurst : Pipeline Readiness Office, DIAND Bonnie Gray: Northern Gas Development, NEB Inuvik Petroleum Show June 2002

2. What is the Cooperation Plan?
Plan coordinates activities of EA and regulatory boards and agencies for review of a major trans-regional natural gas pipeline through the NWT
Plan developed in advance of an application to provide a regulatory roadmap and reduce confusion or duplication
Plan based on goodwill and willingness to cooperate within existing legislation

3. Background
Perception that regulatory system in the NWT was unclear, cumbersome, lengthy
Uncertainty in the EIA/regulatory process is a key issue for proponents making a decision on routing
Coordinating and clarifying Regulatory Process one thing that could be done to assist industry
Plan involves at least 12 parties - both EIA and regulatory Boards and Agencies
Focus on coordinating those with public hearing functions

4. Background (con’t)
Chairs of all boards and agencies first met in November 2000
Meetings of Chairs and their Working Group have continued until now
Chairs expressed desire early to work together to increase efficiency and reduce duplication
process led to the Draft Cooperation Plan released in January 2002 for public comment
From March-May 2002 the Boards and their Working Group have revised the Plan based on this public input
Cooperation Plan now final

5. Who’s involved? ISR EIRB NEB CEAA DIAND NWT WB ILA Sahtu LWB
Yukon Govn’t
IGC
Gwich’in LWB
GNWT
ISR EISC
MVEIRB
Deh Cho
ISR JS
MVLWB
Observers
Agencies with a direct interest
Agencies with public hearing processes

6. Assumptions/Principles
Plan had to apply to either an Over-the-Top or Mackenzie Valley stand alone project
‘made-in-the-North’ solution
joint panel-level assessment for EIA
must reduce duplication
must enhance public participation
couldn’t bind or pre-judge any decisions to be made by legislated Boards & Agencies

7. Inuvialuit Claim
Settled 1984
Gwich’in Claim
Settled 1992
Sahtu Claim
Settled 1993
North
Slave
Deh
Cho
Unsettled
South
Slave

8. Main Elements of the Plan
separate EIA and regulatory processes
NEB may be involved in EIA (Section 15)
coordinated EIA and regulatory hearings
consolidated information requirements
common project secretariat
common technical support
shared public registry
public involvement plan to be developed
processes triggered by a ‘project information package’ or PIP and ‘suite of applications’

9. Phases of the Plan Preparation (next 6 months)
Preliminary Information Package - PIP
ARC PIP received
MV Producers PIP - Fall 2003?
Pipeline Application (mid-late 2003?)
EIA and Regulatory Hearings
Completion of Regulatory Process

10. Environmental Assessment
Single EA done through joint panel involving CEAA, MVEIRB, Inuvialuit - panel size and composition and T of R to be determined
based on 2 agreements:
- Inuvialuit and Minister of Environment
- MVEIRB, Inuvialuit and Minister of the Environment
panel arrangements are triggered by preliminary information package (PIP) & “suite of applications” but not final until formal application

11. Regulatory Agreement
NEB, MVLWB, NWTWB, GL&WB, SL&WB, DIAND, DFO, DOE, GNWT
all distinct mandates - some common issues
coordinate regulatory hearings in time & place
consolidate information requirements
integrate technical support to assist all panels
develop common public registry
avoid revisiting EA issues in regulatory proceedings

12. What didn’t happen? No Comprehensive Study option
Requires a full panel review
No project splitting - ISR upstream development and gathering system/ Mackenzie Valley pipeline
No joint NEB-Regulatory-EA panel (the “heroic” option)

13. Timing much depends on Applicant filings
Plan shows a 24-month process from application to leave to construct
issues - MVRMA process is 3-step process triggered by applications & not by PIP
Comparisons to Alaska/USA process
(ie. 18 months)

14. Recent Steps
Draft Cooperation Plan went out for 60 days public comment (January-March 2002)
Written comments reviewed and suggestions incorporated into Final Cooperation Plan
Letters sent from Chairs to contributors advising them of status and major changes in Plan
Final Cooperation Plan tabled with Minister
Final Cooperation Plan printed and released

15. Next Steps - Implement Cooperation Plan
Finalize Environment/Inuvialuit EIA Agreement
Finalize Environment/MVEIRB/Inuvialuit EIA Agreement
Finalize Regulators Agreement
Finalize Consolidated Information Requirements
Develop Public Involvement Plan
Set up common public registry
Design common project secretariat
Design common technical support team