MITTIMATALIK/POND INLET - Federal officials are deciding the fate of the proposed seismic testing project scheduled to take place in Lancaster Sound this summer, Nunavut's chief geologist said.

"We're still waiting for senior NRCan officials in Ottawa to make a decision," said Donald James with the Nunavut Geoscience Office.

Officials are trying to determine the route the seismic ships will take when conducting the survey, James wrote in an e-mail.

The federal government proposed doing seismic testing as part of the Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals project, which would map the "energy and resource potential" of Arctic waters.

The project's critics are worried about the effects of seismic testing on marine animals, but some are also concerned about what finding oil and gas resources would mean for the Arctic.

"The resources up here are too important to jeopardize with drilling for oil," said Jennifer Inuarak, a resident of Pond Inlet.

Inuarak, who holds a degree in marine environmental technology, said even if seismic testing wasn't used, she would still oppose the project.

"I don't like them looking for oil up here," she said. "If there's one oil spill up here, we don't have food."

While federal spokespeople have maintained the project is not about exploring for oil or gas, Christopher Debicki, Nunavut projects director for Oceans North Canada disagreed.

Debicki attended community consultations in Pond Inlet on June 8 along with other consultations in Resolute and Arctic Bay.

"I thought their characterization could be seen as misleading," he said. "I'm not suggesting that NRCan deliberately attempted to mislead communities, but what I suggested to them is it would be helpful to explain and be up front about the fact that it is a program with the goal of looking for hydrocarbon potential in the Eastern Arctic and therefore, it is oil and gas exploration."

Inuarak said as a community member, she felt spokespeople weren't being honest with residents about the project's goals.

"They also lied to us and said over and over and over, 'this is not about oil'," she said.

"The title of their project is GEM, Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals, if they're geo-mapping for energy other than gas, what could that possibly even be?"

Debicki said the government should cease efforts to explore for oil and gas and officially declare Lancaster Sound a conservation area.

"Our position is we want a very clear, unambiguous statement from the federal government that there will be no oil and gas exploration in the Lancaster Sound region," he said. "We're calling for the federal government in any of its activities in Lancaster Sound be consistent with the expressed desires of the communities and be consistent with the initiative of turning that region in to a conservation area."

James said when officials make their decision, NRCan will hold a meeting with both the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and the Nunavut Research Institute.

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