The idea of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline has loomed on the horizon for decades. Its latest incarnation, the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP), is undergoing an assessment process. The Joint Review Panel (JRP) has held hearings across the territory to determine the project's potential impact on the land, environment and people of the Mackenzie Valley. Hearings wrapped up in November 2007, and the JRP is expected to complete their report in the late summer of 2008.
At the same time, the National Energy Board (NEB) has been evaluating more technical aspects of the project, such as engineering and economic considerations. The JRP will deliver their report to the NEB, who will ultimately make the decision about whether, and how, the MGP may be allowed to proceed.
With an estimated cost of $16.2 billion (CAD), the proposed MGP would be among the largest industrial development projects in Canadian history.
If approved, the proposed MGP will trigger further industrial development in the Mackenzie Valley. This would increase the impacts on the health of the Valley’s ecosystems and the communities dependent on them. It would open up vast wilderness areas to further, unprecedented oil and gas and mineral exploration and development.
The proposed MGP brings urgency to the need for conservation planning and action in the Mackenzie Valley, including coordinated land use planning and the protection of cultural and ecological areas in the region.
