|
Governor, Yukon premier update cooperation pact
Kristen Nelson
Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles and Yukon Premier Pat Duncan signed an accord Sept. 8 pledging further cooperation between the northern neighbors.
While this was the first meeting between these two leaders, the three-year accord follows a similar agreement between the Alaska and Yukon governments signed three years ago.
Topics discussed at the meeting included development and transportation of Alaska North Slope natural gas, fisheries, transportation, tourism and other issues common to both regions.
The agreement is effective through Sept. 8, 2003, and can be amended by the consent of both governments.
“Alaska and the Yukon are the closest international neighbors either of us have, so it’s appropriate we renew relations between our governments,” Knowles said. “With domestic markets for Alaska natural gas looking better than ever, Premier Duncan and I wanted to explore ways we can work together to advance development and transportation of Alaska’s natural gas. I found her a forceful and energetic leader and look forward to continued cooperation.”
“Yukoners and Alaskans need to work together to promote the advantages of the Alaska Highway Pipeline route which would create significant employment and business opportunities for the Yukon and Alaska,” Duncan said. “I’m pleased with Governor Knowles’ keen interest in developing Alaska gas and am confident we will continue to cooperate to get that gas to market soon.” Yukon gas route Knowles has been working with industry to develop Alaska North Slope natural gas. One likely route to the Lower 48 would follow the Alaska Highway through the Yukon. Duncan has strongly endorsed such a route and recently helped convince the Foothills Pipe Line Co. to reopen a Whitehorse office to advance the project.
Duncan said that because the state of Alaska will be one of four producers making a route decision, it is important that Gov. Knowles is aware of Yukon’s position. The premier also said that “issues around access, hire, economic benefit to Alaska” are Yukon issues, as well.
Knowles said that route agreement was one of the requirements for a project: it has to be commercial, it has to get regulatory approval and it has to get a right of way. So if there wasn’t agreement on the route, he said, it wouldn’t happen.
Areas where they agreed to disagree
Duncan and Knowles said they had areas where they have agreed to disagree, such as opening the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. Yukon opposes that and Alaska favors it.
Knowles said that while he advocates oil and gas development in the coastal plain, believing that can be done with minimal environmental impact, “to build a major gas pipeline across that raises a whole new level of impacts beyond oil and gas exploration impacts.”
| 