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6TuesdayJune252013ReviewboardapprovesGiantMineremediationplanDecisionrenewsenvironmentalistsfaithinassessmentprocessPoliticsRegulatoryByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheMackenzieValleyEn-vironmentalImpactReviewBoardMVEIRBrecom-mendedlastweekthattheGiantMineremediationprojectproceedtotheregulatoryphaseforapprovalsontheconditionitfollowsasuiteofmeasurestoprotecttheenvironmentandaddresspublicconcern.Aftercarefuldeliberationthereviewboardconcludedthattheproposedprojectislikelytocausesignicantad-versesocialandbiophysicalimpactsincludingcumula-tiveimpactsarisingfromthepotentialeffectsofthepro-posedprojectincombina-tionwiththeeffectsofpastminingactivitiesMVEIRBsaidinitsofcialstatement.Italsofoundthattheseim-pactswouldgeneratesigni-cantpublicconcern.Theremediationprojectincludesplansformanaging237000tonnesofundergroundarsenictrioxidedustbywayofgroundfreezingremediat-ingthesurfacesitebycover-ingup13.5milliontonnesoftailingsmanagingopenpitsdemolishingbuildingsandcontainingcontaminatedsoils.AllreleasedsitewateristobetreatedthroughadiffuserinGreatSlaveLake.Measuresimposedbythereviewboardrequiretheprojecttimeframebereducedfromperpetuity-thatiskeepingthegroundfrozenforever-toamoremanage-abletimeframeof100yearsaccordingtothereport.Aswelltheproponent-thefederalgovernment-isrequiredtofacilitateongoingresearchinemergingtechnologiesto-wardsfindingapermanentsolution.Independentreviewsarerequiredfortheprojectevery20yearstoevaluateitseffectivenessandidentifypo-tentiallybettersolutionsthangroundfreezing.Othermeasuresprescribedbythereviewboardincludecarryingoutacomprehen-sivegeneralriskassessmentadetailedhumanhealthriskassessmentandhumanhealthmonitoringtheinvestigationoflong-termfundingoptionsfortheprojectestimatedtocostover900millionin-dependentoversight.Ontheissueofwatertheboardrecommendedimprovingwatertreatmenttoadrinkingwaterstandardfromtheini-tialgoalnamedbythepropo-nentwhichaimedatkeepingarseniclevelsintreatedwateratamaximumof100micro-gramslitre.TheboardalsorecommendedreplacingtheproposedunderwaterdiffusernearNDilowithanear-shoreoutfallimmediatelyoffshoretheGiantMinesite.ItistheReviewBoardsopinionthatthesemeasureswillmitigatethesignicantimpactsidentiedintheRe-portofEnvironmentalAssess-mentandaddressthecausesofpublicconcern.TheBoardhasrecommendedthattheProjectbeapprovedsubjecttothesemeasurestheboardstatedinitsreport.ThisisacomplexanduniqueprojecttodealwithachallengingproblemMVEIRBchairRichardEd-jericonsaidinanewsrelease.Thereviewboardsmeasureswillreducethesignificantimpactsoftheprojectaspro-posedandimprovetheproj-ectwhileaddressingthepub-licconcernsthattheboardhasheard.Thesemeasureswillhelpensurethatpeopleandtheenvironmentareprotectedwhilesettingthestagetondapermanentsolution.ThereporthasbeensenttotheministerofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevel-opmentAANDCforconsid-erationanduponapprovaltheprojectcanmoveontothelicensingandpermittingphaseoftheprocess.FaithrenewedinassessmentprocessAfter20yearsworkingontheGiantMineleKevinOReillyamemberofNorth-ernpolicythink-tankAlterna-tivesNorthsaidheisverysatisedwiththedecisionmadebythereviewboard.IthinkitsevidencethatenvironmentalassessmentworksintheNorthwestTerri-torieshesaid.AnditwasntjustAlternativesNortheithertherewereotherpartiestheYellowknivesDenetheNorthSlaveMetisandindividualcitizensinthecommunitywhoobviouslyhadapro-leandeffectonthendingsthattheboardmadesowereveryhappywiththedecisiontheboardmade.OReillysaidhisgroupwasverypleasedwiththeboardscallforindependentoversightandtherequirementforale-gallybindingenvironmentalagreementfortheprojecttomoveforward.Ithinkthatsoneoftheveryveryimportantbuild-ingblockstogetthisprojectoffonabetterfoothesaid.Aswellhewaspleasedtoseetheboardsrequestfortheestablishmentofatrustfundforthelong-termfundingoftheprojectalongwithamulti-stakeholderresearchagency-involvingthepublic-tolookatemergingtechnologiesthatcouldndamorepermanentsolutionfortheremediationproject.Ifthereissomeindepen-dentoversightinbetweenthe20-yearreviewperiodthatsgreatandevenbetteriftheresinvestmentinongoingresearchanddevelopmentOReillysaid.Sothoseallworkhandinhandinensur-ingtheresamuchbetterplaninplace.Demolitionoftheroastercomplexbeganlastweek.FilephotoSurfaceRightsBoardapprovedforNWTBoarddoesnothavepowerstodenycompaniesaccesstodisputedlandByMEAGANWOHLBERGThefederalbillaimedatestablishingaSurfaceRightsBoardfortheNWTdesignedtoresolveland-accessdis-putesintheterritoryreceivedroyalassentlastTuesdayinOttawa.Partofthefederalgovern-mentsoverhauloftheNorth-ernregulatoryregimetheSurfaceRightsBoardreplacesthecurrenttemporaryarbitra-tionsystemssetupundertheSahtuTlichoandGwichinlandclaimagreements.WorktocreatetheboardhadbeenongoingsinceJune2011.Theboardwillhaveauthor-itytorenderbindingdecisionsawardingaccesstoandcom-pensationforcommercialpur-posesonAboriginalCrownandprivately-ownedlandsintheNWTwhenconictsarisebetweencompaniesandthosewithsurfaceorsubsur-facerights.Theboardwillnothavethepowertostopaprojectordenycompaniesaccesstolandnorwillithavetheauthoritytoissuemineralrightsoranyothertypeofsurfaceorsubsurfacerights.WhilesomeFirstNa-tionsandNorthernnon-governmentalorganiza-tionAlternativesNorthexpressedconcernoverthebillclaimingiterodestreatyrightstheterritorialgovernmentapplaudedtheapprovallastweek.AlmostallofourlandmatterscanbedealtwiththroughexistingprocessesbutintherarecaseswheretherearedisputesbetweensurfaceandsubsurfacerightsholdersthisboardwillavoidcostlylengthycourtcasesEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMin-isterMichaelMiltenbergersaidinanewsrelease.Thisisanimportantstepincom-pletingtheregulatorysys-temintheNWT.WhilebothNunavutandYukonhavehadsimilarsurfacerightslegislationforseveralyearsonlyonedisputehaseverbeenheard.TheSurfaceRightsBoardofAlbertaroutinelydealswithissuesofaccess.Miltenbergeraddedthattheboardwillbemaintainedbynewterritoriallegislationafterdevolution.Thepresenceofmultipleexistingprocessestodealwithmostland-accessdis-putesintheNWTwaswhyNorthernnon-governmentalorganizationAlternativesNorthaddressedalettertothefederalgovernmentearlierthisyearexpressingitsoppositiontotheboard.AlternativesNorthmem-berKevinOReillysaidmuchofhisgroupsconcernstemmedfromtheprocessinwhichtheregulatorychangewasdeveloped.PoliticsRegulatoryIthinkiftherehadbeenamorecooperativespiritindevelopingthelegisla-tionandsettingitupasaco-managementapproachandregimeratherthantheministerappointingalloftheboardmembersandsoonitwouldprobablybeeasiertoacceptasaplaceoflastre-sorttosortoutdisputeshetoldTheJournal.Intheab-senceofthosethingswhatsbeenproposedandactuallypassednowisnotgoodandnotthewaythatpeopletendtowanttodobusinesshere.Hesaidheisinterestedinseeingwhathappensfol-lowingdevolutionsuchaswhetherornottheterritorialgovernmentdecidestomovetowardsamorecollaborativemanagementapproachwithAboriginalgovernmentsandthepublicingeneral.Maybetheresanoppor-tunitytoimproveandmakeitmoreamenabletoaco-managementapproachwhentheGNWTgetsitbutwellseemaybeitssomethingthattheycanchangerela-tivelyquicklyafterwardshesaid.BesidesprocessOReillysaidthereweremanycon-cernswiththesubstanceofthelegislationincludingthefactthatitwouldapplyinmunicipalboundariesthattheboarddidnothavetheauthoritytodenyaccessandthatpartiestothepro-cesscouldonlyincludetheresourcedeveloperandtheaggrievedpartyratherthanopeningituptootherinter-estedparties.Theresanumberofnotveryhelpfuloropendemo-craticprovisionswithinthelegislationitselfthatarejustnotpartofCanadianvaluesorNorthernersvalueshesaid.PhotoTaniaLiuThenewNWTSurfaceRightsBoardwilldecidecompensationinlanddisputemattersbutcannotdenyaccesstoland.