The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (the Board) announced today the availability of Phase 3 of the Participant Funding Program to assist the public to take part in the environmental assessment by joint review panel of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project.

Phase 3 participant funding of up to $1,690,485 is now available to help the public participate in the public hearings to be held by the Joint Review Panel. The funding amount represents $1,003,485 originally set aside for this phase, plus $687,000 in additional funding.

Funding applications received at the Agency by November 30, 2005 will be considered. An announcement on the funding recipients will be made at a later date. Funds will be issued only once the Joint Review Panel has announced the confirmed dates for the public hearings to be held. The Joint Review Panel has recently released a preliminary schedule of locations and topics for the public hearings. Further information on the hearings will be provided by the Panel at a later date.

The funding review committee, independent of the Joint Review Panel, will consider all applications. It will recommend to the President of the Agency the distribution of available funds to successful applicants according to the eligibility criteria set out in the Participant Funding Program Guidelines for the Mackenzie Gas Project. The funding review committee membership consists of northerners and others who have considerable experience with northern-based project assessments and reviews.

Information on the program, including the Guidelines, the application form and the contribution agreement, is available on the Agency's Web site. Information on the project is also available on the Board's Website at www.mveirb.nt.ca or the Northern Gas Project Secretariat's Web site at www.ngps.nt.ca.

In December 2004, Phase 2 participant funding of $380,000 was awarded to 19 recipients for the review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which describes the anticipated effects of the project on the environment.

CEEA