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IndustryMining7TuesdayJuly162012ByMEAGANWOHLBERGShellsproposedJack-pineoilsandsmineexpan-sionprojectgotthegreen-lightfromthejointreviewpanellastweekwhosere-portclaimsthedevelopmentisinthepublicinterestde-spitesignificantadverseeffectsitwillhaveontheenvironment.Theprojectwouldpro-videsignicanteconomicbenefitsfortheregionAlbertaandCanada.Al-thoughthepanelndsthattherewouldbesignicantadverseprojecteffectsoncertainwildlifeandvegeta-tionunderitsauthorityastheAERAlbertaEnergyRegulatorthepanelcon-siderstheseeffectstobejustiedandthattheproj-ectisinthepublicintereststatesthereportreleasedlastTuesday.Withitsrecommendationforapprovalthepanelcom-posedofmembersfromtheCanadianEnvironmentalAssessmentAgencyandtheAERimposed22conditionsonShellalongwith88non-bindingrecommendationsaimedatimprovinggovern-mentoversight.Conditionsincludetech-nicalrequirementsforwatertreatmentgeotechnicalplanningtailingsman-agementandreclamationamongotherswhiletherec-ommendationsfocusmorestronglyonenvironmentalmonitoringonthepartofthefederalandprovincialgovernments.Basedonevidencesub-mittedandheardduringlastfallshearingsinFortMcMurraythepanelfoundtheprojectwouldhavesig-nicantadverseeffectsandcumulativeimpactsonwet-landsspecies-at-riskmigra-torybirdstraditionalplantsoldgrowthforestcariboubiodiversityandAboriginaltraditionallanduserightsandculture.Thoughthepanelac-knowledgedthelikelihoodoflong-termnegativecu-mulativeimpactsontheen-vironmentandtraditionallanduseintheregionitwarnedagainststeriliz-ingthedevelopmentofbitumenresourcesinanareaalreadysurroundedbyotheroilsandsminesanddesignatedforbitumenextractionbytheAlbertagovernment.Shellstatedthattheprojectwillresultinthere-coveryofabout325millioncubicmetresofdrybitumenoveritsapproximately40-yearlife.Themunicipalprovincialandfederalgov-ernmentswillallreceivesignificantfinancialben-efitsasaresultoftheproj-ect.Theprojectwillpro-videmajorandlong-termeconomicopportunitiesJackpinemineexpansionapproveddespitesignificantenvironmentalimpactstoindividualsinAlbertaandthroughoutCanadaandwillgeneratealargenumberofconstructionandoperationaljobsthepaneldetermined.Whilethepaneliden-tifiedalackofproposedmitigationmeasuresforcumulativeenvironmentalimpacts-themainpointofconcernraisedbyprojectopponents-itdidnotpro-videabasisforaddressingthosebutinsteaddeferredtotheprovincesrecently-initiatedLowerAthabascaRegionalPlanLARPwhichitrecommendedbeputinplaceasquicklyaspossibleandfocusedontheimpactoftheprojectinisolation.Withregardtothepre-dictionofsignificantcu-mulativeeffectsforseveralkeyindicatorresourcesandspeciesatriskthepanelhasdeterminedthattheproj-ectitselfonlycontributesincrementallytosomeoftheseeffectsandthatmostoftheseeffectsresultfromprojectsanddisturbancesthateithercurrentlyexistorhavealreadybeenap-proveditsaid.EnvironmentalgroupsandFirstNationsalikeex-presseddisappointmentatthedecision.TheAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNa-tionACFNfromFortChipewyanwhoopposedtheprojectsettodisturbover12000hectaresofitstraditionalterritoryinclud-ing21kmoftheculturallysignicantMuskegRiverdenouncedthedecision.Weseefromthisap-provalthattheJRPjointreviewpanelhaspriori-tizedoilindustryprof-itsbeforethehealthandwell-beingofourcom-munityandtheenviron-ment.ItstrulyappallingsaidErielDerangercom-municationscoordinatorforACFN.FirstNationandenvironmentalrightsshouldnttakeabackseatasthedestructionofourhomelandscontinues.ACFNbroughtforthaconstitutionalchallengetotheprojectduringlastOc-tobershearingsinFortMc-MurrayclaimingtheFirstNationwasnotadequatelyconsulted.Theirchallengewasdismissedalongwiththeirappeal.ACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidwhiletheFirstNationap-preciatesthe88non-bindingrecommendationsmadetogov-ernmenthesaidhehaslittlefaiththeywillbelistenedto.WeseefromthisapprovalthattheJRPjointreviewpanelhasprioritizedoilindustryprofitsbeforethehealthandwell-beingofourcommunityandtheenvironment.ItstrulyappallingErielDerangerAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationPhotoShellTheCrownslawyershavealreadydemonstratedtheirindifferenceforourrightsduringtheirpre-sentationstothepanelandthecourtduringourFirstChoiceinGraphicDesignPhotocopyingScanningFast.Professional.FriendlyLaminationShellCanadasproposedopenpitJackpineminehasbeengiventhegreen-lightfromajointreviewpanel.constitutionalchallenge.Wecanonlyhopethatthistimewillbedifferenthesaid.Thisisanopportu-nityfortheCrowntoad-equatelyworkwithustotranslatethepanelsrecom-mendationsintomeaningfulandenforceableprotectionsforourrightsandculture.WearegoingtothetableingoodfaithandweexpectthesamefromtheCrown.WewillbeholdingthemtoourTreaty.PembinaInstitutesSimonDyersaidthepanelwastedanopportunitytosendamessagetoindustryaboutcompliancetoenvironmen-talstandards.ThejointreviewpanelheardfromShellsownanal-ysisthatthisprojectwhenaddedtootherplannedoil-sandsprojectswillexceedscience-basedenvironmen-tallimitsforimpactstoairqualitywildlifehabitatandtheAthabascaRiveryetthepanelrecommendedap-provaloftheprojectany-wayDyersaid.Untiloil-sandsprojectsarerequiredtomeettheenvironmentalstandardsthataremeanttogovernthissectorrespon-sibleoilsandsdevelopmentwillbelittlemorethanaslogan.