Oil Search relinquishes 130 North Slope leases

The Yukon's largest aboriginal group, unhappy about being frozen out of talks over an Alaska Highway gas pipeline, is ready to pull its support for the project. The Kwanlin Dun First Nation wants C$60 million in government money to study the environmental and social impact of the proposed line, said Judy Gingell, chief executive officer of the Kwanlin Development Corp. "We have largely been kept in the dark by industry and governments on this project," she told a March 19 news conference in Calgary. Kwanlin Dun Chief Rick O'Brien said it would be "tragic if this potentially great opportunity ended up being stalled in Canadian courts because of a lack of proper planning and consultation." Gingell said her community is worried that an influx of up to 3,000 construction workers into the Yukon will boost inflation and harm wildlife. About 90 miles of the proposed 2,000-mile line would cross Kwanlin Dun land, which surrounds the Yukon capital of Whitehorse. The aboriginal leaders stressed that although they favor a pipeline they are determined to get a share of royalties or land rental paid by gas producers or pipeline operators.