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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...KayakersruntheSlavesimpossiblepassThreepaddlersdidthenexttoimpossibleononeoftheSlaveRiverstoughestrunslastweekplungingoverthemajorledgeatMountainRapidsintothethrashingwa-tersknownasMollysNipple-andlivedtotellaboutit.IssueSeptember15199820YearsAgo...MuseumofthepastworkingforfutureTheNorthernLifemuseuminFortSmithisundergoingaface-liftthatdirectorClar-enceRhymerhopeswillmakeitmoreac-cessibletothepublic.Projectsunderwayorstartingsoonincludeanenvironmentallycontrolledstorageroomawheelchairrampahandicapliftandres-torationoftheRadiumKingtugboat.IssueSeptember15199330YearsAgo...BirdsattackairplaneAthreatenedstrikebytickethandlersthissummerwouldnthavekeptPWAoutoftheskybutastrikebytwosmallbirdsgroundedtheminFortSmithforsixhoursMonday.TheairlinesafternoonsouthboundightwasdelayedaftertheBoeing737carrying75pas-sengerssuckedtwosmallbirdsintoitsengineswhileliftingofffromHayRiver.IssueSeptember1519834TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21djnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.........................ReneFrancoeur867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caAdministration............CarolMacPherson867-872-3000ext.29adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caTuesdaySeptember172013WhatthefrackisgoingonFrackingisanewwordintheEnglishlanguage.Itisarevolutionaryprocessforderivingoilandnaturalgasfromshalerevolutionarybecauseithasdramati-callyenhancedtheworldsavailableen-ergysupply.Revolutionaryalsobecauseithaschangedthepowerstructureofworldpoliticsasweknowitsinceen-ergysuppliestranslatetowealthandsoimpactgeopolitics.Theeconomiccascadeeffect-bothpositiveandnegative-fromtheadventoffrackingonlyafewshortyearsagowasdramaticandrapid.IntheNWTtheMackenzieValleypipelinewasrendereduneconomicbecausefrackingenabledaccesstocheapergasclosetourbanmarkets.TheimpactontheeconomiesoftheNWTandAlbertaaswellasOn-tarioandQuebecmanufacturingindus-trieswashuge.TheUnitedStatesinaneconomicslumpsince2008emergedoutofthatfogwiththeprospectofenergyindependenceinparticularfreedfromtheneedforMiddleEasternoil.ThatwashugeforoursouthernneighbourwhoseeconomythelargestintheworldwasonthewanethankstotheriseofEasternpowerhousesparticularlytheChinesejuggernaut.ThesubsequentdeclineoftheWestsgripovertheworldeconomyoverthelast300yearswasputonhold.Theeraoffossilfuelsintheprocessofbeingwounddownduetoconcernsoverglobalwarmingwasalsoextendedprobablyfordecades.Allthatandmuchmorethankstofracking.Thefrackingprocessinvolvespump-ingwatersandandchemicalsathighpressureintoundergroundshalebedsfracturingthemtoreleasethegasoroiltheycontain.Thevaluableoilorgasisthenpumpedtothesurfacethoughasecondwellborehole.Theprocesshasbeenaroundfordecadesusedintheoilindustrytoenhancetheowfromindi-vidualwellsbutwasneverusedonanymajorscaleuntilnow.Threeseriousproblemsareacom-monresultoftheprocess.Inmultiplelocationsworldwideinplaceswheregroundstabilityisvulnerabletremorshaveresulted.InLancashireEnglandfrackingwashaltedbecauseofsuchseismicevents.Therearefearsthatastheprojectedtensofthousandsofnewwellsaredrilledregionscharacterizedbyundergroundfaultswillbedestabi-lizedonalargescaleresultinginde-structiveearthquakes.Itisalsonotuncommonbecauseofthemassivepressuresinvolvedinthepumpingfornaturalgastobeforcedintoaquiferscontaminatinggroundwater.Inmanycasespublicwatersupplieshavebeenrenderedundrinkable.Lastlythelonglistofchemicalsusedinfrackingmanyhighlytoxictohumanscontaminatethesitewithextensivereachunderground.Eachcompanyusingthefrackingprocesshasitsownpropri-etarychemicalmix.TheUSgovern-mentwhichseesfrackingandthenewavailabilityofavastsourceofcheapen-ergyasagodsendallowedaloopholeinitsCleanWaterActsocompaniescankeepthemakeupoftheirspecialcocktailofchemicalssecret.TheCa-nadiangovernmentfollowedsuit.Pro-vincialandterritorialgovernmentsaredoingthesame.Weknowthatinfrack-ingmanytoxicchemicalsarepumpedundergroundbutwearenotallowedtoknowwhichoneshowtoxicnorinwhatquantity.Governmentsaregivingthecompaniesafreepass.Manyofthechemicalswillbepushedintosurroundingsubterraneanrockandshalebedsaswellasaquiferscontam-inatingaconsiderablearea.Someofthosechemicalswillbesuspendedinthewastewaterwhichiseitherpumpedbackundergroundortruckedawayanddumpedelsewhere.Thechemicalsarealsopresentintheoilandgasproductsremovedlaterduringrening.ThetragicandterribletraincrashinLac-MganticQue.involvedtankercarsfilledwithoilderivedfromfrack-inginNorthDakota.Theoilcontainedhighlyflammablefrackingchemicalswhichwasapparentlyamajorcon-tributingfactorintheexplosionthatwipedoutthedowntowncoreofthecommunityandcostsomanylives.Thecompanythatproducedthatoilstilldoesnothavetorevealthena-tureofthechemicalsinvolvedtoaidcleanupefforts.ThelegacyofGiantMineinYellow-knifeis237000tonnesofdeadlyarse-nictrioxidestoredfrozeninundergroundchambersinperpetuity.Costestimatesfortheinitialcleanupnowunderwayareapproachingabilliondollars.Itwillcostroughly2millionannuallyforevertomaintainthattoxicmaterialsafelyinafrozenstate.ThefederalgovernmentwebsiteforAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevel-opmentpresentsaninterestingtake-thattheGiantMineremediationproj-ectleavesanewandpositivelegacy.Suchoptimismafterthefactinthefaceofsuchterriblecontaminationandcostlycleanupisodd.Recognizingandstop-pingsuchmistakesinadvancemakesmuchmoresense.Weshouldheedthelessonandneverallowsuchthingstohappenagain.Nocompanyorcorporationnomat-terhowmuchwealthoreconomicben-etispromisedshouldeverbeallowedtopumptoxicchemicalsintothegroundwithoutdivulgingexactlywhattheyareandwhattheydo.Thefrackingprocessshouldnotbeallowedanywhereany-timeunlessitiscarefullyregulatedandsubjecttoongoingstringentscrutinyandaccountability.Anygovernmentthatal-lowsunhinderedandunmanagedfrack-ingisnotonlyirresponsiblebutculpableinanyproblemsandlossesthatwillre-sultinthefuture.AloneRCMPofcerstandsguardSundayoverahouseinNdiloaYellowknivesDenecommunitywherea21year-oldmanwasfatallystabbedSaturdaymorningaround800a.m.ThevictimwhoseidentityisbeingwithheldlaterdiedinStantonTerritorialHospital.A17year-oldgirlappearedinTerritorialYouthJusticeCourtonMondayandwasformallychargedwithseconddegreemurder.PhotoJackDanylchuk