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AlbertaMLAchargedinprostitutionstingMikeAllentheFortMcMur-ray-WoodBuffalorepresen-tativehasbeenchargedfol-lowinghisarrestinMinne-sotalastMonday.Seepage7.EighthCanolTrailyouthhiketeachesvalueoflandThe25-mileyouthleadershiphikecapturesthebeautyandchallengeoftheMackenzieMountains.Seepage22.FulloffolkflavourYellowknifeshottestsummereventsizzleswithsoundtasteandsights.Seepages12-13.YellowknifehouseboatsreceiveevictionnoticesCityhallandtheterritorialgov-ernmenthavetoldhouseboatsquattersintheGiantMineareatheyaretrespassingandtomovebyJuly31.Seepage10.PulledtreatmentcentrefundingcausesconcernRangeLakeMLADarylDolynnyquestionsthede-cisiontoaxegovernmentfundingtotheNatsejeeKehTreatmentCentre.Seepage8.Visitwww.norj.caAnationalawardwinningindependentnewspaperservingNorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriessince19771.00July232013Vol.37No.12ByRENEFRANCOEUROilhasbeenfoundinthelatestwatersamplestakenfromtheAthabascaRiveraroundFortChipewyaninthewakeofa100square-kmoilysheenrstreportedonthewaterssurfaceJuly6.TheresultsfromsamplescollectedbyEricChristian-sonoftheAlbertagovern-mentshowedpositiveresultsforoil.ThesesampleswereanalysedattheAlbertaIn-novatesLaboratoryinEd-montonreadastatementre-leasedlastFridaybyMikisewCreeFirstNation.Basedoninformationavailableatthistimeitseemsthatthesheenmaybetheresultofthehighrainfallandrunoffovernat-uralbitumencombinedwiththishasnotbeenprovenyetbitumenthatwasexposedasaresultofthebridgecon-structioninFortMcKay.Theinitialsamplescol-lectedfromanindependentstudyshowednosignsofpetrochemicalsubstances.Thisledtothehypothesisthatthesheenmayhavebeencausedbyalargeblue-greenalgaebloomupstreamwhichcanpointtosubstantialag-riculturalrunofforlanddisruption.Evidenceindicatesthatisnolongerthecase.BruceMacleanresearchcoordinatorforMikisewCreeFirstNationsGovern-mentandIndustryRelationsdepartmentandheadofFortChipscommunity-basedwatermonitoringeffortstoldTheJournaltherstsamplesmaynothavebeencollectedproperly.HydrocarbonsinaircanvolatilizeveryquicklysoIthinkthatmayhavehap-penedwithourinitialsam-plewhichcamebacknega-tivehesaid.NikkiBoothacommuni-cationsrepresentativewithAlbertasEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevel-opmentdepartmentsaidthegovernmenthasmoretestingtodobeforeitcandenitivelyconrmthesheenssource.Wedonothavetheresultsfromallourtestsinyet...Itmaybenaturalbitumenoritmaybepollen-relatedoracombinationofboth.TheywillcontinuerunningtestsonittoruleotherthingsoutBoothtoldTheJournalonFriday.Howeverthisislikelynaturalbitumen.Therewasasignicantvolumeofwatertravellingthroughthatriverbasinthatwouldhavecausederosionandexposedbitumen.AccordingtoMacleanthendingsareconsistentwithnaturalrawbitumen.Youdbeeasilyabletotellinthelabifitwaslightcrudeorrenedbitumenhesaid.ThesenseImgettingisthatthehighrunofffromsomeofthetributariesintotheAthabascawereush-ingoutsomeofthenaturalbitumen.Macleannotedthereistonsofhumandisturbanceintheareathatcouldhavealsoimpactedthebitumenlevelsfoundinthewater.Theresbeensomepoorerosioncontrolmeasuresofconstructionsites-commu-nitymembersidentiedthistomebutthishasnotbeenveriedandisnotthesolesourceoftheoilinthewatersamplesbutperhapsithadacumulativeimpacthesaid.Rightnowitsliketryingtoputtogetherajigsawpuzzleinthedark.AccordingtoMacleanoneofthewayshydrocar-bonpresenceistestedinthesamplesisthroughfractionidentication.TheylabelthesedifferentfractionsF1F2F3andF4withF1beingthelightest.TheyfoundF2sandF3sinhighenoughlevelsthatwereconcerninghesaid.SeeDeadshonpage2.HydrocarbonsfoundinAthabascawaterOilspillstilldeemedtobeexposednaturalbitumenPhotoJannaJaqueBrandonKikoakleftandLyleEmileofFortSmithhustleontoshoreduringthecanoeracenalstotakerstplaceatthe28thPineLakePicnicinWoodBuffaloNationalPark.Over200peoplegatheredonSundaytocelebrateNationalParksDay.Seemoreonpage23.