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3TuesdaySeptember32013Familiesareablessing.Togetherweallenjoyedgatheringstorytellingsingingeatinggreatfoodandlaughing.Manythankstoallthosethattravelledfromoutoftowntojoinusandtothosethatdonatedfoodraffleitemsandtheirtime.ThankstoBrendaTuckeyourphotograherandStephanieEvansandMalorieandColinRehm-Carewfortheawesomeentertainment.ThankyoutotheFortSmithMtiscouncilandtheNWTMtisNationfortheirdonations.BecauseofallofyoutheEvansFamilyReunion2013wasagreatsuccess.ThankYouXIJFortMcKaylauncheslmdefendingMooseLakeByMEAGANWOHLBERGMooseLakeisFortMcK-ayslastrefugewherewecanliveoutthepromiseofTreaty8saysHollyFortieracross-culturalconsultantandnar-ratorofanewshortdocu-mentarybytheFortMcKayFirstNationreleasedonlinelastweek.The20-minutelmMooseLakehomeandrefugeex-plainsthroughinterviewsaerialfootageandcaptivatinginformationalanimationsthecommunityspositiononoil-sandsindustryintheMooseLakeareacurrentlypoisedfordevelopmentanditsalterna-tiveplanforcoincidinghabi-tatprotectionandeconomicdevelopmentintheregion.SurroundedonthreesidesbyoilsandsprojectstheFirstNationisintheprocessofde-fendingitstwoMooseLakereserveslocatednorthwestofthecommunityfrombeingimpactedinthesamewayasFortMcKay.ThepreviouslyuntouchedareaiscurrentlyslatedfordevelopmentfollowingtheapprovaloftheDoversteam-assistedgravitydrainageoilsandsprojectinearlyAugust.ThoughtheFirstNationrequesteda20-kmdevelopment-freebufferzonearoundthereservenosuchmeasureswereincludedintheapprovaloftheprojectwhichoverlapstheculturallyandecologicallysensitivearea.WhiletheFirstNationislookingtoappealthedecisionincourtandmeetwithmem-bersoftheAlbertacabinetbeforetheprovincemakesthenalcallontheprojectthedocumentaryisintendedtoletpeopleknowtheimpor-tanceoftheMooseLakeareaastoldbyeldersandscientistshiredtodoacumulativeef-fectsstudyinthearea.MooseLakeisimportantbecauseitisrichinresources-berriesmoosefur-bearinganimals-andMooseLakeisthelastgoodshingareathecommunityhasaccesstoFortierexplainsonthelmbackedupbythewordsofelderslikeWilfredGrand-jambewhosaytheyhavenoplacelefttogotohuntorsharoundtheircommunitywhichissurroundedbyfenceswithsecurityguardstailingspondsandindustrialpollution.Featuredwithinthedocu-mentaryaregraphicsandin-terviewsshowingtheresultsofAlcesGroupscumulativeimpactsstudycommissionedbytheFirstNationin2012.Researchlandscapeecol-ogistBradStelfoxexplainshowthroughcomputer-gen-eratedmodelsofhabitatlossintheareamooseandotherwildlifeintheareawillbeimpactedoverthenext100yearsatthecurrentbusinessasusualpaceofindustrialdevelopment.Theresultsindicatehalftheusablemoosehabitatwillbelostandallwildlifewillexperienceadverseimpactsoverthenextcentury.TheproblemisntoneroadonepipelineoneminebutitshundredsofroadshundredsofpipelinesanddozensofminesandthecumulativeimpactsofthatFortiersays.Thedocumentaryalsoof-ferstheFirstNationsownsolutionwhichincludestheexpandedprotectedareaaroundMooseLakeaccessmanagementplansandbestmanagementpracticesintheoilandgassector-allthreeofwhichwhenusedtogetherareshowntosignicantlyreduceimpactstowildlifewhileal-lowingdevelopmenttooccur.FirstNationsignsnewoilsandspartnershipDespitere-vocalizingitsoppositiontothegeographi-calplacementoftheDoverprojectlastweektheFirstNationshoweditisopentodevelopmentbyforminganewpartnershipwithCal-gary-baseddrillingcompanySavannaEnergyServices.UnderthedealtheFirstNationwillprovidedrillingwell-servicingandcoreser-vicesaswellasoileldequip-mentrentalstoFortMcMur-raysoilsandssector.ThenewagreementisoneinalonglistshowcasingthebandsmutuallybeneficialrelationshipwithindustrydespitepledginglegalactionagainsttheDovermine.MooseLakeissimplywherethecommunitysaysitdrawsthelineastraditionallanduseresearcherJeanlHommecourttellsthecamera.Itsnotjustanotherpieceoflanditsasacredpieceofland.AgraphicfromthedocumentaryshowstheprojecteddeclineofwildlifeintheMooseLakeareafollowingabusinessasusualapproachtooilsandsdevelopment.ImagecourtesyofFortMcKayFirstNationPoliticsFirstNationsPipelinesafetyreviewaskswrongquestionscriticsEnvironmentalgroupstotakerequestforreviewtoauditorgeneralByMEAGANWOHLBERGThelong-awaitedreportfromAlbertaspipelinesafetyauditreleasedlatelastmonthdoeslittletoaddresssafetysaycriticswhoarguethestudyaskedthewrongquestions.ThereportbyGroup10En-gineeringthatcameoutAug.23providesrecommendationsforimprovingtheregulatorysystembutdoesnotanalyzeasinglepipelinespillortheprovincesenforcementre-cordfollowingincidents.Resultsofthe445000auditwhichbeganinsummer2012followingthreemajorpipelineleaksacrosstheprovincepaintafavourablepictureofAlbertaspipelineregulationsaftercom-paringittootherprovincesstat-ingthatAlbertademonstratesthemostmatureandcompleteapproachtoincidentreportinginthecountrylikelybecauseithasthelargestnumberofpipelinesandthemostwellestablishedpipelineindustryinthecountry.ImpleasedtosaythatthestudyhasconrmedthatAl-bertaleadsinpipelinesafetyandhasthemostthoroughoverallregulatoryregimeofallassessedjurisdictionsEnergyMinisterKenHughessaiduponreleasingthereport.EnvironmentalgroupsleftoutThoughacoalitionof54en-vironmentalgroupswaspri-marilyresponsibleforpushingthedepartmentofEnergytoforcethepipelinereviewonlyregulatorybodiesandindus-tryrepresentativeswereinter-viewedonwhattheythoughtneededimprovement.Thosesame54groupswrotetoPremierAlisonRedfordagainlastweekexpressingdisappointmentwiththere-portindicatingtheywillbepetitioningtheauditorgen-eraltodoamorethoroughexamination.TheAlbertaNewDemocratsaremakingasimilarrequest.StafflawyerBarryRob-insonofEcoJusticesaidthesafetyreviewgivesAlbertansafalsesenseofsecurity.ThosewhoexpectedthatthereviewwouldanswersuchquestionsasWhatistherootcauseofthesignicantpipelineleaksinAlbertaorWhatistheconditionofAlbertasagingpipelinesystemwillbedis-appointedhesaid.WhileGroup10repre-sentativessaidthereportwasnotintendedtodelveintothequestionofwhetherenforcementwasadequateRobinsonsaidtheomissionleavesoutakeypartofaninquiryintosafety.Havingstrictregulationsisonething.Meetingthoseregulationsisanotherhesaid.Thereviewfailedtodoanyon-the-groundassessmentofthedegreeofcompliancewithAlbertaspipelineregulations.Andwhileallpipelineop-eratorssaidinthereportthattheyhadapipelineIntegrityManagementProgramIMPthatcompliedwithregulatoryrequirementsnoindependentverificationwasdoneastowhetherornotthatwastrue.Albertansshouldnotbere-assuredbytheAlbertaPipe-lineSafetyReviewhesaid.WhilethereviewtellsusthatAlbertahassignicantpipe-lineregulationsandthatthepipelineoperatorsbelievethattheyaremeetingthoseregula-tionsitreallytellsusnothingaboutthesafetyandintegrityofpipelinesinthegroundinAlberta.All17recommendationsapprovedbyprovinceThe17recommendationsmadebythereportallofwhichhavebeenacceptedbytheprovinceincludestandard-izingpipelinesafetyrankingsacrossthecountryandestab-lishingIMPsforallcompaniestobeauditedforcomplianceonaroutinebasiseitherthroughtheregulatororbythirdparties.Withrespecttopipelinesnearbodiesofwater-atermtheprovinceneedstodenetheauthorspointout-thereportrecommendstheprovincekeepamoredetailedinventoryofallpipelinewatercrossingsandre-quireIMPstoincludeprocessesformitigatingrisksofpipelinesnearwaterbodies.Thereportalsosuggestsset-tingupatieredregulatoryap-proachallowingsomecompa-niestobeconsideredforper-formance-basedregulationmeaningthecompanywouldberesponsibleformanagingtheriskandtheconsequences.Whilesuchanapproachwouldrelievetheprovinceofacertainamountofworkitwouldrequireadditionalregulationfortheregulatortoauditandcertifycompaniesashavingthenec-essarymanagementsystemsandcompetencetowarrantaperformance-basedapproach.ThepipelinereviewhasbeenpostedonAlbertaEner-gyswebsitewherethepubliccancommentonitsndingsfora45-dayperiod.PoliticsRegulatory