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GovernmentpressesaheadwithplanstodemolishGiantMineroastercomplexIndustryMining7TuesdayMay142013ByJACKDANYLCHUKGovernmentofficialsworkedovertimelastweektopersuadeskepticalaudi-encesthatthemostcontami-natedbuildingsonCanadasmosttoxicindustrialsitecanbedemolishedwithlittlerisktothepublic.TheGiantMineroastercomplexdecayinghulkscladincrumblingasbestossheetswheregoldwasex-tractedfromoreandleftbehindaresidueofarse-nictrioxideistobedis-mantledoverthenexttwoyearsbaggedandstoredunderground.A25.7-millioncontractforthejobwasawardedlastmonthtoParsonsCanadaLtd.beforecompletionofanen-vironmentalreviewintore-mediationofthesitebecausegovernmentofcialscontendthereisanimmediaterisktotheenvironment.ParsonswillworkwithDetonChoCorp.andDetonChoNahanni.Thelabourcomponentistobe33percentAboriginaland10percentcontractcostsaremarkedforAboriginalcompaniesandsuppliers.ADetonCho-Nunajointventuresecuredthecareandmaintenancecontractworth9.6millionintherstyear.Althoughthesevenbuild-ingsand50-metrehighbrickchimneyappearstructur-allysoundAdrianPara-disactingprojectmanagerforAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentCan-adaAANDCsaidmetalpipescakedwitharsenicarecollapsing.ThesiteisnotingoodshapeParadissaid.JaneAmphlettoperationsmanagerforthedeconstruc-tionprojectsaidAANDCandthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriespart-nersintheremediationproj-ectarenottryingtoavoidregulatoryboards.Thisisanemergency.Weneedtogoinandaddressthis.AtsparselyattendedmeetingsinYellowknifeandNdiloPhilNixonprojectmanagerforPar-sonssaidthecompanysapproachistoplaneverystepintheprocessdili-gentlyandthenworktheplantocontrolandcontainhazardouswaste.Thebuildingswillbeco-coonedinplasticwrap.Nega-tiveairpressurewillpreventcontaminantsfromescapingintotheenvironmentwhileworkersprotectedbydispos-ablejumpsuitsandrespira-torscleanallsurfacespriortodemolition.Allwaterandairusedwillbecapturedandcleaned.Butofcialsweremo-mentarilystumpedwhenaskedwhatwouldhappeniftherewasanemergencysuchasarethatcouldsendaplumeofcontami-nateddustandsmoketoOldTownjustminutesawayacrossfromtheformerminesiteacrossBackBay.ThechanceofgettingahugedustproblemisaveryunlikelyscenarioAmphlettsaid.Theemer-gencyresponsefromthecityredepartmentandpolicewouldbetriggeredandtherewouldbewarningsbyradiobroadcasts.Paradisdidntknowhowmuchtimemightelapsebe-forethewarningwentoutorhowtheycouldbecer-tainthatallresidentswouldbealertedtothedangerbutsaidemergencyresponderscouldbesentdoor-to-doortowarnthepublic.ImascomfortableasIcanbeParadissaidbe-foreitwasconcededthattheremediationteamhasyettodevelopapublicedu-cationprogramforsuchanemergency.CraigYeoaresidentofOldTownsaidhewaslook-ingforwardtoreceivingapamphletinthemail.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGStudentsintheintensivefive-weekenvironmentalmonitoringtrainingprograminFortChipewyanmovedontothesecondstageoftheirstudieslastweekwithalookintowaterqualitymonitoring.FromMay6-17thegroupof14studentscomprisedofmembersfromMikisewCreeFirstNationAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationandtheMetislocalwillbeoutonthewaterandintheclass-roomlearningtheessentialsofwatermonitoringfromAuroraCollegeinstructorsEnvironmentCanadascien-tistsandtheAlbertaBiodi-versityMonitoringInstitute.Studentshadabreakbe-tweentheirlessonsonsnowandairqualitymonitoringbackinMarchbutwerehardlyidleoverthelastmonth.ThroughKeyanoCollegeinFortChipthegroupcompletedthreeweeksofupgradinginmathsci-enceandcomputersalongwithaweek-longrstaidandwildernessrstaidcourse.Nowthattheiceisstart-ingtobreakupstudentswillsoonbeoutonthewaterlearninghowtodothenecessarysamplingforavarietyofwaterqualitymonitoringinitiatives.Studentsarelookingatwaterchemistrywaterqualityingeneralsuchaslaboratoryanalysisandprotocolsforpropercol-lectionBruceMacleanresearchcoordinatorforMikisewsGovernmentandIndustryRelationsGIRdepartmentsaidinanemail.Theywilllookatsedi-mentsamplingandlikelyinvertebrateandfishsam-plingprotocolsalsoheadded.ThecourseusestheBuildingEnvironmentalAboriginalHumanRe-sourcescurriculumtointegratetraditionalknowl-edgewithpracticalfieldex-perienceinordertoequipAboriginalpeoplewiththeskillstobecomeinvolvedinexistingscientificstud-iesorevendesigntheirownmonitoringprograms.Allstudentswhocompletethecourseandthesubsequentfieldwork-thecoursegivesstudents200hoursoftherequired2000-willbecomecer-tifiedtoparticipateinalltypesofenvironmen-talmonitoringprogramswhethercommunity-basedindustry-fundedorgovernment-led.TheprogramisfundedundertheauspicesoftheJointOilSandsMonitoringPro-gramwithAlbertaEnviron-mentandSustainableResourceDevelopmentandEnvironmentCanadaprovidingsupport.FortChipstudentsbeginwatermonitoringworkEnvironmentMonitoringPhotoJackDanylchukStudentsarelookingatwaterchemistrywaterqualityingeneralsuchaslaboratoryanalysisandprotocolsforpropercollection.Theywilllookatsedimentsamplingandlikelyinvertebrateandshsamplingprotocolsalso.BruceMacleanMikisewGovernmentandIndustryRelationsGIRGovernmentofcialsleadamediatouroftheGiantMineroastercomplexinYellowknife.Everybuildingpicturedistobedeconstructedoverthenexttwoyears.