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3TuesdayJuly302013ACFNsaysColdLakeoilleakwakeupcallTen-weekblowoutraisesconcernsaboutAlbertasregulatorysystemEnvironmentOilSpillsFortSmithYellowknifeTravelmusttakeplacebetweenJuly12013andAugust312013.TotakeadvantageoftheseofferscallNorthwesternAirreservationstollfree1-877-872-2216ravemusaepaceew00OnewayfromFortSmithtoYellowknifeSpecialStandbyFareforFortChipewyan9900allincludedone-wayuntilSeptember302013.www.nwal.caTel867872-3030Fax867872-2214Emailchartersnwal.caForCharterReservationsCalltollfree1-877-872-2216SUPERSUMMERSTANDBYSEATSALESUPERSUMMERSTANDBYSEATSALENEWFLIGHTSFROMFORTSMITHTOEDMONTONviaFortChipewyanreturnthesameroute.TuesdaysandThursdaysstartingAugust1.ByRENEFRANCOEURHeavyoilcontinuestogushuncontrolled-nowfor10weeksandcount-ing-fromanundergroundoilsandswellintheColdLakeareaofnortheastAl-bertakillinganimalsandvegetation.Fourblowoutshaveoc-curredfromCanadianNat-uralResourcesLimitedsCNRLPrimroseoperationtherstbeingreportedonMay20andthefourthre-leasetakingplaceJune24.TheTorontoStarwhichbrokethestoryestimatesmorethan4500barrelsofbitumenhavebeenreleasedontotraditionalBeaverLakeCreeterritory.TheAlbertaEnergyReg-ulatorAERhasorderedCNRLtoenhancemonitor-ingandacceleratecleanupeffortsbuttheleakshaveyettobemanaged.TheAlbertaEnergyReg-ulatorisinvestigatingallin-stancesofbitumenreleasetosurfaceinrelationtothisproj-ectAERsCEOJimEllissaidinthemostrecentpressreleaseJuly18.Althoughtherehavebeennoriskstopublicsafetyuntilweinves-tigatetheseincidentsbetterunderstandthecauseofthesereleasesandwhatstepsCana-dianNaturalResourcesLtd.willtaketopreventthemwearetakingthesemeasuresasaprecaution.TheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNsaystheColdLakecaseisyetanotherreminderthereisseriousmis-managementinAlbertaanditsregulatoryprocesses.Theyvebeensuper-heatingandpressurizingthegroundforthelastdecadenowinthatregionandloandbeholdsomethinghashappenedandtheyhavenoideahowtocontrolitErielDerangercommunicationscoordinatorforACFNtoldTheJournal.Theydontknowthelong-termimpactsoftheseprojectsandthisisaprimeexamplethatgovern-mentandindustrydonthavetheforesightorthetechnol-ogytobackuptheirassump-tionsofwhattheseprojectswillreallydotothelandenvironmentandultimatelythepeople.Derangersaidthisinci-dentisawakeupcallandpeopleinnorthernAlbertashouldstartpayingcloserattentionasmoreoilsandsdevelopmentissuretocomeinthenearfuture.ThedisturbingnewsoftheuncontrolledColdLakeleakcamejustweeksafteranoilysheenwashedupalongshoresnearFortChipewyaninanalreadybadyearforAlbertasspillrecordincludingtheJuneleakof9.5millionlitresofcontaminatedwaterinZamaCity100kmsouthoftheNorthwestTerrito-riesborder.Itsbeenaterribleyearforoilspills...Albertahasaproventrackrecordoffailingattheupkeepoftheirpipelines.Weretalkingaboutsomeseri-ousmismanagementandPhotoscourtesyoftheTorontoStarWhatshappeninginColdLakeisanindicationthatwearejumpingbeforewelookandthatsthebottomline.ErielDerangerAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationmisclassicationinthere-gionDerangersaidspeak-ingspecicallytothefactthatinsituoilsandsprojectsaredeemedenvironmen-tallybenignbytheAlbertagovernment.Whatshap-peninginColdLakeisanindicationthatwearejump-ingbeforewelook.ThePembinaInstituteaCanadianenvironmen-talandsustainableenergythinktankiscriticalinitsassessmentofthemethodsandtechnologybeingusedtoextractheavyoil.Thefundamentaldesignofthisproject...howmuchpressuretheycaninjectundergroundwithoutim-pairingtheintegrityoftherockformation...appearstohavefailedandthere-foretheapprovalthattheprojectisbasedonshouldnolongerbedeemedtobevalidChrisSeverson-Bakermanagingdirectorattheinstitutesaid.Thebigquestioninmymindisisnttheresomethingthatcanbedonethatcanpreventbitumenfromcontinuingtobereleased...somethingthatcanminimizetheenviron-mentaldamagerightnowWhilethereissurfacedamagetothesurround-ingborealforestSeverson-Bakersaidpotentialnega-tiveimpactsundergroundareevenmoreconcerning.Thebitumenwouldhavegonethroughabout500metresofrocktofinditswaytothesurfaceandtheselayersofrockwouldhavehelddifferenttypesofgroundwater-salinegroundwaterfreshgroundwater-sotherewouldhavebeenacontamina-tion.Wedontknowhowmuchcontaminationatthispointhesaid.Severson-Bakersaysoneleakinaprojectisunacceptablebutfourconsecutiveleaksmeansacompletedesignfailure.ThelifelessbodyofaLesserYellowlegsshorebirdisoneofmanyfounddeadandcoveredinoilintheColdLakeregion.OilcontinuestoleakfromCanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.sPrimrosesite10weeksaftertherstbitumenrelease.