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EnvironmentTailings2TuesdayJuly92013NEWSBRIEFSPoliceinvestigateoilsandsbombthreatWoodBuffaloRCMPreceivedacalllastWednesdayaround1130a.m.aboutanallegedthreattoanindus-trialsitenearConklinAlta.about155kmsouthofFortMcMurray.Anemployeehadfoundawrittenmessageindicatingtherewasabombsettodetonateonthesite.Anundisclosednumberofemployeeswereevacuatedbythecompany.Thepreliminaryinvestigationonsiteshowednorisktothepublicandnoevidencesuggeststhepresenceofanypotentiallyhazardousdevicespo-licesaid.AnyonewithmoreinformationisaskedtocalltheWoodBuffaloRCMPat780-788-4000.WorkerdiesatminenorthofMcMurrayAcontractworkeratSyncrudesAuroraoilsandsminenorthofFortMcMurraydiedlastMondayfollow-ingwhatthecompanyiscallinganincidentinvolv-ingheavyequipment.Thecompanydidnotreleaseanyfurtherdetails.Thenameofthedeceasedisnotbeingreleasedatthistime.Nextofkinhavebeenno-tied.OurthoughtsarewiththeworkersfamilyandfriendsduringthisdifculttimeSyncrudepresidentandCEOScottSullivansaidinapressrelease.Thein-vestigationisongoing.CanNorcommitstoNWTresourceandinfrastructuredevelopmentTheCanadianNorthernEconomicDevelopmentAgencyCanNorsignedaMemorandumofUnderstandingMOUwiththegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieslastweekcommittingitssupporttoresponsibleresourceandinfrastructuredevelopmenttopromoteeconomicprosperityforNortherners.TheMOUmeansCanNorwillworkwiththeGNWTthroughitsNorthernProj-ectsManagementOfceNPMOtodevelopandfostertransparentenvironmentalassessmentandregulatoryprocesswhenitcomestoresourcedevelopmentandre-gionalinfrastructureprojectsacrosstheNWT.SomeofthebestbrandsinthebusinesssuchasHeartlandandKeystoneGETGEAREDUPATNORTHSTARCHRYSLERwherewehaveahugeselectionofnewandusedCampersFifthWheelsandToyHaulerswww.northstarchrysler.caWHEREPEOPLEBECOMECUSTOMERSFORLIFERegularprice63410SALE47781TruckandTrailerComboFREENightStayinHighLevelwitheverypurchaseByMEAGANWOHLBERGAhandfulofconcernedcitizensintheFortMcMur-rayareahavelaunchedlegalactionagainstSuncorEn-ergyLtd.overallegationsthatprocess-affectedwaterisleakingdirectlyintotheAthabascaRiverfromoneofitstailingsponds.TonyBoschmannanen-vironmentalinvestigatorfromMcMurrayisleadingaformalinformationsuitwiththehopesajudgewillchargetheoilsandscompanythisSeptemberundertheFisheriesActforreleasingadeletorioussubstanceintotheAthabascawhenthecasegoestocourt.Theinvestigatorwhospentthelastthreeyearslook-ingforalinkbetweentheprocess-affectedwatercon-tainedinthetailingspondsandgroundwatercomingintotheAthabascaRiversaidhefoundthatlocationlastNo-vemberandbegansamplingforlevelsofionsnaphthenicacidsandPAHs.Whathefoundhesaidisa12-15000square-metreunderowofwaterintotheriverchemicallyconsistenttothetailingsadjacenttoSun-corssouthtailingspondandpondAA-32squarekilometresofout-of-pittail-ingsponds.ThisperceptionthatisportrayedoverandoveragainistheyreholdingthiswaterintheyrestoringallthiswaterbutwhenyoureallystarttolookatityougohowcouldtheyactuallystopwaterfromleakingfromthistypeoffacilitywhenyouvebuiltitnexttoariveronslopinggroundwithallthisporousgeologyHowcouldtheystopitSoweinvestigatedthatandwerendingthatthefundamentalengineeringtooperatethesereallyimpor-tantstructuresproperlyistogetridofwaterBoschmanntoldTheJournal.BoschmannsteamwhichincludesIanPeace-afor-meremployeeofAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFN-foundthe6000square-metresampleareaontheriverlastNovemberwiththehelpoftraditionalland-users.Welettherivertelluswheretogolook.Wewentlookingforaleak.WetooksometraditionalFirstNationknowledgeabouticedevelop-mentandtheformationoficeandhowitwasntdevelopingproperlyinsomespotsandtheythoughtitwasspring-likeconditionswheretherewaswaterentering.SowewatchedtheriveroneNovem-berwatchingtheiceforma-tionandoneparticularspottookanadditionalmonthtofreezethantherestoftheriver.Therewasnonaturalexplanationsowespentthenextthreeyearsguringoutwhyhesaid.Usingagroundwaterpi-ezometertypicallyusedondrylandtheteampoundedthe22-footlonghypoder-micneedlefivefeetintothesandbelowtheswiftlyflowingrivertocollectsamples.Wewantedafinger-printofprocess-affectedwaterandoneofthemostcommonconstituentsofprocess-affectedwateristheionsthesaltsthesodiumandchlorideandsulfatesandironandpotassiumandcal-cium-thosesortsofthings.Andtheyreverycommon-prevalentinfact-inprocess-affectedwater.Theyactuallyoccurnaturallybuttheygetfocusedwhenyoutakethisoilsandsoreandthenwashit.Everythingthatsintheoregetsconcentratedinthewaterandsuspendedinthecolumnhesaid.Comparedtotheelectri-calconductivityoftheriverwaterintheareawhichwasmeasuredataround300Boschmanngotreadingsof10400fromhissamplewater.CourtcaseclaimsSuncortailingspondleakingintoAthabascaPhotoMeaganWohlbergTonyBoschmannanenvironmentalinvestigatorclaimsanunderowofwaterintotheAthabascaRivermatchesthechemicalproleofanearbytailingspond.Thisperceptionthatisportrayedoverandoveragainistheyreholdingthiswaterintheyrestoringallthiswaterbutwhenyoureallystarttolookatityougohowcouldtheyactuallystopwaterfromleak-ingfromthistypeoffacilitywhenyouvebuiltitnexttoariveronslopinggroundwithallthisporousgeologyTonyBoschmannIonslikesodiumchloridepotassiumsulfatesironandcalciumweremuchhigheraswell.Intheriverbackgroundchloridesandsodiumwereinthe15-20mgLrangewhereasinthesampleschloridewasde-tectedat3300mgLandso-diumat2800mgL.Boschmannsaidtheprob-lemwiththesoundnessofthetailingspondisthatitwasconstructedona2km-wideand50metre-deepun-dergroundglacialmeltwaterchannelandthesanddykes-themostcriticalportionofthepondsstructuralintegrity-ontopofthedeepestandmostporouspartofthechannel.Ifyouretryingtoholdwaterinitstheworstplace.Ifyourebuildingatailingspondtoreleasewateritsthebestplacehesaid.BoschmannschallengewillbeheardincourtonSept.12.HesbeingassistedbylawyerMelissaDanielsanACFNmember.Suncordidnotrespondtorequestsforcommentasofpresstime.