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RockerNeilYoungvoicesharshcritiqueofoilsandsaftervisittoFortMcMurrayEnvironmentOilsands7TuesdaySeptember172013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGCanadianmusiciconNeilYoungknownforhispoliticallyricsdidntpullanypunchesduringapressconferencelastweekfollowinghisrstvisittotheAlbertaoilsandscall-ingFortMcMurrayawaste-landandcomparingthein-dustrialareatothesiteofanatomicbombstrike.The67year-oldvisitedFortMcMurrayearlierthismonthonpartofhiscruisetovariousoilandgasproj-ectsaroundNorthAmericainafossilfuel-freecarandvoicedhisoppositiontopo-liticalcampaignsmarket-ingAlbertasoilasethicalduringaNationalFarmersUnioneventlastMondayinWashington.ThefactisFortMcMur-raylookslikeHiroshimaYoungsaid.FortMcMur-rayisawasteland.Youngwhodrovethroughtheregionoverthelasttwoandahalfweeksinhishybridethanol-electricLincolnCon-tinentalaspartofadocumen-taryhesworkingoncalledLincVoltsaidhecouldsmellandtastethefumesfromindustryandrepeatedthemessagefromFirstNationsdownwindanddownstreamofthedevelopmentthattheoilsandsarecausingillnessandirreparableenvironmen-taldestruction.Peoplearesickpeoplearedyingofcancerbecauseofthis.AlltheFirstNationsuptherearethreatenedbythis.Theirfoodsupplyiswastedtheirtreatiesarenogood.Theyhavearighttoliveonthelandliketheydidbuttheresnolandleftforthemtoliveon.Alltheanimalsaredying.HeaddedthathesopposedinabigwaytothenotionofoilsandscrudecomingtotheUSviatheKeystoneXLpipeline.ThisistrulyadisasterandAmericaissupportingthishesaid.TheKeystonewhichhaslongawaitedanalverdictfromUSPresidentBarackObamawouldshipbitumenfromAlbertatoreneriesontheGulfCoastinTexas.YoungalongwithfamedactressandknownoilsandsopponentDarylHannahwerehostedontheirve-dayvisittotheMcMurrayareabytheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNoutofFortChipewyan.ThetwocelebritiesspenttimewiththeACFNchiefcouncillorsandstaffonhe-licopterandgroundtoursoftheareavisitedinsitusitesdrovetheLincolnaroundthe14-kmSyncrudeloopandattendedaDeneculturalcel-ebrationinJanvier.ACFNcommunicationscoordinatorErielDerangersaidthevisitwasntpubli-cizedbecauseunlikeapre-viousvisitbydirectorJamesCameronthatinvolvedamediacircusthecommu-nitywantedYoungsexpe-riencetobegenuineandallowhimtoformulatearesponsebyhimselfandonhisownschedule.WeknewthatNeilwasdenitelytakenabackbywhathesawandtheexperienceofbeingthereandthathedoesfeelalotofpassiontoaddressthingslikefossilfueldestruc-tionandclimatechangeandallthoseissues-thosearenotse-cretsofNeilYoungs.WejustdidntknowwhathispublicsentimentwouldbecomingoutafterhisvisitsowewerekindofsurprisedbutalsotruthbetoldhedidntreallysayanythingreallycrazyDerangersaid.ShesaidACFNisthrilledtohavethisnewlyforgedal-liancewithsomeonewhoun-derstandsthetiesindigenouspeopleshavetothelandwhoalsohappenstobeamusicallegendnoless.WeredenitelygoingtocontinuetoworkalongwithNeilandmoveforwardandlookatwaysthatwecanre-allybepartnersinaddress-ingsomeoftheseissues...Itsreallygreatthathesmadethosereallystrongremarksthatindigenouspeoplereallydoholdthekeystoaddress-ingtheissuesintheregion...becausetheonlyrealintactlegislationthatsleftinthiscountryisthefoundationofourrightsasAboriginalandTreatypeopleshesaid.AgreatCanadianmusi-caliconstandinginsolidar-itywithusisprobablyaFirstNationsbestcasescenariosoitsexcitingsheadded.MinisternotafanofYoungsremarksAshortemailresponsebeingcirculatedtomediafromCanadianNaturalRe-sourcesMinisterJoeOli-versofcesaidwhiletheministerisafanofYoungsmusichesnotafanofhismessageonKeystone.OnthismatterwedisagreebecauseKeystoneXLwilldisplaceheavyoilfromVen-ezuelawhichhasthesameorhighergreenhousegasemis-sionswithastableandsecuresourceofCanadianoil.Rock97.9aradiostationinFortMcMurrayhasbannedYoungssongsindenitelybe-causeofhisremarksontheoilsandsfollowingitsrstNoNeilDaylastWednes-day.ThestationreportedlyplaystwotothreeNeilYoungsongsperdayusually.Youngiswell-knownforhisimpassionedandsometimescontroversialsongwritingtouchingonissuesofracismenvironmentaldegradationgovernmentcorruptionandimperialismsincethe1960s.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGWidespreaddiscontentwiththeresultsoftheAlbertagovernmentsrecentlycon-ductedpipelinesafetyreviewhassprungtheprovincesauditorgeneralintoactiontoinvestigategrowingcon-cernsoffailinginfrastruc-tureandlackofregulatoryenforcement.TheNDPWildrosePartyandacoalitionof54environ-mentallandownerlabourandFirstNationsgroups-thesamegrouptospurtheinitialaudit-allputforthcallsoverthelastseveralweekstohaveAuditorGen-eralMerwanSaherconductasecondaudit.Oppositionpartiesre-leasedaletterfromSahersofcelastThursdaystatingtheinvestigationwillbeginassoonaspossible.Wewillbeauditingthegovernmentsmonitoringsystemstoensurecompli-ancewithAlbertaspipelineregulationsSaherwrote.Ourauditwouldincludeinspectionandenforcementprocesses.Theoriginalreportau-thoredbyGroup10Engi-neeringreceivedabun-dantscornfromavarietyofplayersintheprovincewhosaidthereviewdidlittletoaddresstheissueofsafety.ThoughitcomparedAl-bertasregulatoryregimetootherjurisdictionsndingithasthemostthoroughsystemoveralltheauditdidnotlookintorecentspillscomingfromtheprovincespipelinenetworkspanning400000kmnorhowcom-paniesareforcedtocomplywithregulations.GroupscallingforthesecondaryauditsaidtheyarepleasedwithSahersannouncement.IhopetheauditwilltakeamorethoroughlookatthestateofregulationenforcementthantheAl-bertagovernmentsrecentpipelinereviewinordertogiveAlbertansandouren-ergyconsumersthecon-dencetheydeservegoingforwardWildroseEnergyCriticJasonHalesaidinapressrelease.AuditorGeneralstepsintoauditAlbertapipelinesIndustryPipelinesPhotocourtesyofErielDerangerMusiclegendNeilYoungshowshissupportfortheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationinsolidaritywithErielDeranger.AlltheFirstNationsuptherearethreatenedbythis.Theirfoodsupplyiswastedtheirtreatiesarenogood.Theyhavearighttoliveonthelandliketheydidbuttheresnolandleftforthemtoliveon.Alltheanimalsaredying.NeilYoung