National Energy Board (NEB) principals, fresh from summer tripsto Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, are exploringways to deal with megaproject proposals for development andtransportation of northern resources.

Promoters of the Mackenzie Delta pipeline scheme — known asARC, short for the Arctic Resources Corp. represented in Canada byformer Calgary Conservative MP Harvie Andre — are understood tobe moving rapidly toward submitting an application to the NEB.ANGTS, also known as the Alaska Highway Pipeline, is expected tostep forward as early as mid-2001 with a plan that may includereviving the dormant Northern Pipeline Agency, which still existson paper in both Ottawa and Washington as the special “one-window”regulator responsible for all economic, environmental and communityaspects of a northern gas megaproject.

The travels of NEB Chairman Ken Vollman and associates includedmeetings with industry, government and aboriginal leaderssupporting rival proposals. Vollman said a number of alternativesare being considered, such as the “joint panel” approach used toreview and approve gas development offshore of Nova Scotia in areasonable period of time by creating a special board ofrepresentatives from all agencies involved.

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