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EnvironmentWildlife2TuesdayApril92013NEWSBRIEFSNWTmaceondisplayinInuvikFortMcPhersonthisweekTheofcialNorthwestTerritoriesmaceatraditionalcer-emonialstaffmadeofsilverandbronzewillbeavailableforpublicviewingthisweekinInuvikandFortMcPher-son.DatingbacktoparliamentarytraditionsintheBrit-ishCommonwealththemacewasoriginallydesignedtoprotectkings.TodayitsymbolizestheauthorityoftheLegislativeAssemblyandtheSpeaker.Itwillbeondis-playatInuviksEastThreeElementarySchoolfrom530-730p.m.onWednesdayandatChiefJuliusSchoolinFortMcPhersononThursdayfrom330to500p.m.SpeakerJackieJacobsonregionalMLAstheLegislativeAssem-blysclerkandthesergeant-at-armswillbeinattendance.DominiononestepclosertosecuringpurchaseofEkatimineDominionDiamondCorp.formerlyknownasHarryWin-stonDiamondCorp.announcedlastMondayithasbeenapprovedbyallnecessaryregulatorybodiestoacquireBHPBillitonsEkatidiamondoperationsintheNWT.BHPBillitonagreedtosellitsEkatidiamondminelo-cated310kmnortheastofYellowknifelastNovembertoHarryWinstonfor500million.Dominionsaiditexpectsthedealtoofciallyclosesometimethisweek.AdvancepollsopeninLiidliiKuechiefby-electionAdvancepollsfortheLiidliiKuebandelectiontobeheldApr.10inFortSimpsonopenedlastWednesday.SevencandidatesarerunningforchiefOlintoBeau-lieuErnestCazonMinnieLetcherEricMenicocheMichaelModesteBerthaNorwegianandArnoldHope.ThesuccessfulcandidatewillreplaceKeynaNorwegianwhowasoustedbycouncilinJanuaryafteravoteofnon-condence.FishdeformitiesinAlbertaUSlinkedtooilpollutionscientistAbnormalitiessharedbetweenshinAthabascaRiverGulfofMexicoandAlaskaByMEAGANWOHLBERGWhatdoshintheAtha-bascaRiverhaveincommonwiththoseintheGulfofMexicoandGulfofAlaskaTheysharedeformitiescausedbyoilpollutioninthewateraccordingtore-nownedwatershedscientistDr.DavidSchindler.TheUniversityofAl-bertascientistwhohelpedlinkoilsandsupgraderstocarcinogeniccontaminantsfoundinthenearbysnow-packinnortheasternAlbertabroughttheissueforwardtofederalministerslastweekaskingthemtodomoretoassistscienticresearchonthematter.InalettertoEnvironmentMinisterPeterKentandFish-eriesandOceansMinisterKeithAshfieldSchindlerarguedthereareremark-ablesimilaritiesintheab-normalitiesfoundonshintheAthabascaRiverandonesfollowingtheDeepwaterHo-rizonandExxonValdezoilspillsintheGulfofMexicoandGulfofAlaskarespec-tivelyalongwithsomefoundonGreatLakesshinthevicinityofheavyindustries.Giventheparallelsinthecasesfromvariouslocationsitseemslikelythatsomechemicalorsuiteofchemi-calsincrudeoiliscausingthemalformationsSchindlersaid.Themostlikelysus-pectsareprobablypolycy-clicaromatichydrocarbonsPAHstheiralkylatedde-rivativesorcloselyrelateddibenzothiophenes.ManyPAHsaresuspectedorknowntocausecancermutationsordeformitiesinembryosorfetusesSchindlersaidandarelinkedtoim-munesuppression.IntheGulftheresulthasbeenthatmanyshspecieshavebecomevulnerabletoabroadsuiteofbacterialandviraldiseasesand...parasiteshesaid.HighconcentrationsofPAHsarealsoassociatedtheriveritwillbeimpossibletodeterminewhichchemicalsareresponsibleforthemal-formationsinthecomplexGiventheparallelsinthecasesfromvar-iouslocationsitseemslikelythatsomechemicalorsuiteofchemicalsincrudeoiliscausingthemalformations.Dr.DavidSchindlerwiththeappearanceofle-sionsinredsnapper.Otherchemicalsassoci-atedwithoilsandsprocessingwaterssuchasnaphthenicacidscouldalsobeatplaySchindlernotedalongwithchemicaldispersantsusedtocleanupoilspillsintheGulf.WhilesomePAHsandrelatedcontaminantsoccurnaturallyinthelowerAtha-bascaRiverSchindlersaiduniversityandgovernmentresearchlinksindustrytothedeformities.Therecenthighfrequencyofmalformationssuggeststhatindustrialinputshavecausedsomethresholdformalformationstobecrossedtheletterstates.KeepoutdoorlabopenSchindlerrequestsSchindlerisrequestingtheministersactnowonprotect-ingascienticresearchareainnorthernOntarioinordertoproperlytestthepossiblelinkbetweenoilsands-relatedchemicalsandsh.WhileEnvironmentCan-adascientistsarenowdoinganexcellentjobofmonitoringchemicalsoupthatoccursdownstreamofoilsandsmin-inghesaid.Amoreexpeditiouswayofidentifyingthemwouldbewholeecosystemexperimentswheresmallamountsofse-lectedchemicalsareappliedtowholelakesandeffectsdeterminedonseveralkeyspeciesinthefoodchain...TheExperimentalLakesAreainnorthwesternOntarioELAisidealforsuchapurpose.TheELAiscurrentlyunderthreatofbeingpermanentlyshutdownduetothefederalgovernmentsdecisiontocutits2-millionperyearfunding.Thefederalgovernmenttemporarilyclosedtheoutdoorlaboratory-theonlyoneofitskindintheworld-inMarchwhiletheysearchforagrouptotakeitover.WhileanewgroupwassupposedtotakecontroloftheresearchsitebyMar.31whenfundingendedareplacementorganizationhasyettobefound.ThedepartmentofFish-eriesandOceanshasbeenconductingexperimentsintheareaof58smallpristinelakessince1968.FilephotoRenownedscientistDavidSchindlersaysdeformitiesfoundonshintheAthabascaRiversuchastheonepicturedaboveareremarkablysimilartothosefoundonshintheGulfsofMexicoandAlaskafollowingdevastatingoilspills.CAMPINGSEASONISJUSTAROUNDTHECORNERSomeofthebestbrandsinthebusinesssuchasHeartlandandKeystoneGETGEAREDUPATNORTHSTARCHRYSLERwherewehavea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