From: Michael Roy [roymjp@inac-ainc.gc.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 12:23 PM
To: hkim@sgw5hq1.inac.gc.ca
Cc: licensing@nwb.nunavut.ca; dbesserer@sgw5hq1.inac.gc.ca
Subject: Amendment Application for NWB2SNN0305 - Drilling within 30 mof
water body

Hello Hannah,

I have received the Nunavut Water Board (NWB)'s request for comments on your amendment application to your water licence.  I have a few questions relating to your request. 

Please note that I am working from Ottawa at the moment and do not have access to all my files in Iqaluit; all I have at the moment is what is available on the NWB ftp site. I therefore apologize if any of the answers were provided in previous documents (such as the original licence application).

My main question is essentially a justification as to why you must drill within 30 m of the water body.  Would there be any real significant difference with the results if you were to drill from a few meters away (i.e., from outside the 30 m boundary)?  That is, is this just a single drill spot in a large overland grid for early exploration of the region, or is that particular spot important because you have reason to believe you will find something exactly at that spot because of previous results of earlier drilling? Or does the geology extemely favor that spot for a find compared to a spot 30 m from the water body?

Is it perhaps possible to obtain the results you want by drilling at an angle from outside the 30 m boundary?

Can you specify whether the land where this drill site will be is on Crown Land or Inuit Owned Land.  Do you have the authority under the appropriate land lease to perform drilling operations within 30 m of a water body, or have you applied for such an amendment if you do not have permissionl?  I know the 30 m boundary is usually a condition of a DIAND (Crown) Land Lease, and thus you would probably require a land lease amendment as well if it is on Crown land.


If you have any questions or wish to contact me, you can reach me by email, or by phone at (819) 997-4615.

Regards

Michael Roy
Qikiqtani Regional Coordinator, Water Resources
INAC - Nunavut Regional Office
roymjp@inac-ainc.gc.ca