Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
PoliticsFirstNations7TuesdayApril302013AreyouinterestedinmakingFortSmithmoreenvironmentallysustainableTheTownofFortSmithsSustainableDevelopmentAdvisoryBoardisrecruitingfor2013.IfyouareinterestedinalternativeenergyandenergyefficiencyrecyclingcompostingandgardeningorotherenvironmentallysustainablepracticespleaseshareyourinterestandtalentstohelpmakeFortSmithaleaderinsustainablepractices.FormoreinformationortogetinvolvedpleasecontactTheTownofFortSmithtownoffortsmithfortsmith.ca867-872-8400REQUESTforExpressionofInterestByMEAGANWOHLBERGForthefirsttimein30yearstheFortMcKayFirstNationhasledaformalob-jectionagainstanoilsandsprojectonitstraditionalter-ritoryapproximately100kmnorthofFortMcMurray.TheDoverOperatingCorp.projectownedjointlybyAtha-bascaOilSandsCorp.andPetroChinaCo.Ltd.wouldextract250000barrelsofbi-tumenadayfromthewestsideoftheAthabascaRiverusingsteam-assistedgravitydrain-ageSAGDtechnology.AlthoughtheFirstNationhasbeenaserviceproviderandconsistentemployeebasefortheoilsandsindustryoverthelast25yearswithitsowncompaniesandjointventuresintheregionitsaystheDoverprojectwillaffectoneofthelastremainingbitsofwildernessinitstraditionalterritory.Wearereachingourtoler-anceforoilsandsdevelopmentintheareatheFirstNationscommunicationsdirectorDayleHydetoldTheJournalfromhearingsinFortMcMurraylastweekbeforeareviewpanelofAlbertasEnergyResourcesConservationBoardERCB.TheFirstNationwantsa20kmno-developmentbufferzonecreatedarounditsreservenearNamurandGardinerLakesknownlocallyasMooseLakewhichbordersontheproposeddevelopment.TheareaisheldbytheFirstNationtohavegreatculturalhistoricalandenviron-mentalsignicance.WehavealongstandingconnectiontoMooseLakeHydesaid.Wehaveancestorswhoareburiedthere.Thecom-munityofFortMcKayconsid-ersMooseLakesacred.AlongwiththerequestforabufferzonetheFirstNationisalsoaskingforanintensiveaccessmanagementplantomitigatetheeffectsofdevel-opmentintheMooseLakeareabyforexamplekeepingcutlinestoaminimumwidthandusingexistingroadsratherthanconstructingnewones.Werenotopposedtothetotalprojectwerejustoppos-ingtheprojectasitsproposednowshesaid.RightnowIthinktheclosestwellpadplannediswithin2kmofourreserveandthenorth-centralprocessingfacilityis13kmfromtheborderofourreserve.Hydesaidtheplannedfacili-tieshavethepotentialtodisruptwildlifemakingitdifcultformembersoftheFirstNationtoexercisetheirtraditionalhar-vestingrights.ItisaSAGDfacilitywhichhasalargesurfaceimprintandsotherearelargepipelinesthatwillbespanningtheareaHydesaid.Thereisgoingtobenoisepollutionandlightpollutionandsomeemissionssothereisgoingtobeanimpactontheenvironmentandonthewild-life...Ourexpertsproposedthattherewillbeasignicantim-pacttothemoosepopulation.Itwillgointodeclinemuchfasteroncethisprojectisunderway.Hydesaidthesmallcom-munitywhichsitsacrossfromatailingspondontheriverandissurroundedonallsidesbyoil-sandsdevelopmentisalreadyfeelingtheeffectsofindustry.Werealwaystryingtostrivetondthebalancebetweenre-sourcedevelopmentandourhealthycommunitybutforusMooseLakeisoneofthelastpiecesoflandthatwecanac-cesstopracticeourculturalactivitiesandthatswhyitssoimportanttousshesaid.DoverspokespersonKristiBarontoldTheJournalthecompanyunderstandsandhashadextensivediscussionswiththeFirstNationregard-ingitsdesireforabufferzonebuthasconcernsregardingtheproposalspotentialimpactontheeconomicsoftheproject.Anybufferzonethatster-ilizesdevelopmenthasasig-nicantimpactontheprojectdevelopmentandeconomics.FurthermoreanybufferzonewouldimpactotheroilsandsleaseholdersborderingtheBuffaloLakeReserves.Weestimateabufferzonecouldsterilizeasmuchas23.5billionbarrelsofbitumenresultingintheprovincelosingupto74billioninroyaltyrevenuesaswellasemploymentopportu-nitiesandothersubsequentso-cialbenetsshesaid.BaronsaidthecompanyhasbeenindiscussionwiththeFirstNationforovertwoyearsandanticipatedconcernabouttheproximityoftheDoversitetothereserve.Assuchweensuredourde-velopmentplanmaximizedthedistancefrommajorfacilitiestothereserveboundaryshesaid.ThespecicrequestforabufferzonewasrstprovidedtotheERCBonMar.252013.BaronaddedthatDoverhashaddiscussionswiththeFirstNationaboutestablishinganaccessmanagementplantotheareaandiswillingtoworkwiththemtomorefullydenethisplan.PetroChinabought60percentofAthabascaOilSandsDoverandMacKayRiverproj-ectsin2010for1.9billion.IfapprovedDoverplanstobeginconstructionontheprojectthisyearwithinitialsteamingcommencingin2015.FortMcKayFirstNationobjectstooilsandsprojectCompanysaysbufferzonewouldhurteconomicsofprojectByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheAlbertagovernmentchargedPlainsMidstreamCanadalastweekfollowingapipelinespillinApril2011thatdumped4.5millionli-tresofcrudeoilontowetlandssurroundingtheLubiconCreecommunityofLittleBuffaloinnorthwesternAlberta-thesecondlargestspillintheprov-inceshistory.ThecompanyfacesthreechargesundertheEnvironmen-talProtectionandEnhancementActincludingoneforthespillitselfoneforfailingtotakemeasurestorepairandcon-netheeffectsofthespillandthethirdforfailingtoproperlyremediatethedamages.Thechargeshaveamaxi-mumpenaltyofupto500000percountandthecompanyisfacingthreechargesinthiscaseNikkiBoothspokesper-sonforAlbertaEnvironmentandSustainableResourcesDe-velopmentsaidinanemail.Iftheyarefoundguiltyinthematterthejudgecanalsolookatcreativesentencingoptionsashasbeendoneinthepast.Boothsaidshewasunabletocommentonhowtheprov-incefoundthecompanytohavenottakenadequatemeasureswithrespecttoitsresponsetothespillandcleanupsincethematterisbeforethecourts.Shealsodeclinedtocom-mentonanycompensationforthecommunityorFirstNation.ChargeswerelaidadayafteranadvancecopyofareportbyGreenpeacewassenttotheAlbertagovernmentwiththenoticethatitwouldbereleasedpubliclyonSunday.ThereportcalledTheRain-bowSpillACaseofCrimeandNoPunishmentcriticizedthegovernmentfornotlayingchargesorningthecompanyforthebreachofitsRainbowpipeline.InthereportGreenpeacecriticizesboththecompanyforitsactionsandtheprovinceforitsallegedinactiondespitedamningndingsreportedbytheEnergyResourcesConser-vationBoardERCBinFeb-ruary2013.Insteadasinternaldocu-mentsobtainedbyGreenpeaceundertheFreedomofInforma-tionandPrivacyActrevealtheprimeconcernofboththeregulatorandtheAlbertagov-ernmentwasnottoprotecttheaffectedcommunitiesortheenvironmentbuttolimitthedamagetotheoilindustryspublicimageitstates.ThereportnotestheERCBleadershiprejectedarequestfromitsowninvestigationteamforapublicinquiryintothespillandthatwhenlaunch-inganinvestigationofpipelinesafetyintheprovinceAlber-tasEnergyministerworkedcloselywiththeoilindustrytostructurethereviewinawaythatwouldlimitthedamagetothesectorsreputation.Italsoclaimsthegovernmentreliedonthecompanytotakethewatersamplesthatwillnowbeusedinthecourtcaseagainstthemandthatcondentialgov-ernmentreportsindicatetherewereproblemssuchasmissingsampleswiththosesubmittedbythecompany.Albertachargescompanyfor2011pipelinespillEnvironmentPipelinesPhotoAthabascaOilSandsCorp.AnAthabascaOilSandsCorp.employeeworksononeofthecompanysexistingoilsandsprojectsintheregion.Thecompanyco-ownstheDoverprojectwithPetroChinaCo.Ltd.