[IPSM] N.W.T. inks deal with pipeline companies

[Macdonald Stainsby]

N.W.T. inks deal with pipeline companies

Last Updated: Monday, January 22, 2007 | 2:02 PM CT

The Northwest Territories has signed a deal with the Mackenzie pipeline 
companies that it hopes will ensure the North benefits if the massive 
project goes ahead. The 1,220-kilometre multibillion-dollar pipeline is 
a joint project involving Imperial Oil, Shell Canada, Conoco Phillips, 
ExxonMobil and the Aboriginal Pipeline Group. The 67-page socio-economic 
agreement between the companies and the territorial government was 
announced Monday and deals with employment, training and business 
opportunities. The agreement includes:

- $21 million for training over 30 years.
- 806 jobs per year for N.W.T. residents during the four-year 
construction period.
- Zero tolerance for drug and alcohol use on construction sites.
- Cross-cultural training.
- An effort to spend $930 million on local construction material.
- Potential local purchasing of up to $145 million a year for the life 
of the project.

The gas companies and the government submitted the agreement to the 
Joint Review Panel that is looking into the social and environmental 
impacts of the proposed project. The agreement is only valid if the 
project goes ahead.

-- 
Macdonald Stainsby
http://independentmedia.ca/survivingcanada
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
    --Bertholt Brecht.