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Ottawagivesgo-aheadtoGahchoKumineNWTsfourthdiamondmineproceedsdespiteFirstNationconcernsIndustryMining7TuesdayOctober292013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheCanadiangovernmentignoredcallsfromFirstNa-tionsintheNWTforfurtherreviewandgavethegreenlightfordeveloperstostartproductionontheNorthwestTerritoriesfourthdiamondminelastweekwiththeap-provalofDeBeersandMoun-tainProvinceDiamondsGahchoKueproject.AboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentAANDCMinisterBer-nardValcourtgavethemineitsnalstampofapprovallastTuesdaysigningoffonrecommendationsbytheMackenzieValleyEnviron-mentalImpactReviewBoardonJuly22.Thefederalapprovalal-lowstheMackenzieValleyLandandWaterBoardtonowbeginprocessingapplicationsforwaterlicensesandlandusepermitsrequiredtocon-structandoperatetheminelocated280kmnortheastofYellowknife.CEOofDeBeersCanadaTonyGuthriesaidtheap-provalsignalsthatplansfortheminemeetthehigheststandardsandwillbenettheeconomyandresidentsoftheNorthwestTerritoriesandenhanceCanadaspositionasapremierdiamondproducer.Theministergavetheap-provaldespitecollectiveop-positionfromthefourFirstNationgroupsinvolvedintheenvironmentalreviewpro-cessallofwhichaddressedaletterandreporttothefederalgovernmentinlateAugustaskingtheprojecttobesentbacktotheboardforfurtherreview.TheLutselKeDeneFirstNationYellowknivesDeneFirstNationDeninuKuFirstNationandTlichoGov-ernmentcomplainedthatthemitigativemeasuresrecom-mendedbythereviewboardwereincomplete.Specicconcernsraisedin-cludedtheboardsfailuretomakeNiHadiYatianover-sightcommitteeforenviron-mentalmonitoringcomposedofimpactedAboriginalgov-ernmentsabindingmeasure.Otherconcernssurroundedalackofenforceablemeasuresforwaterqualityremediationplansimpactsoncaribouairbornecontaminantsper-mafrostandimpactsoncul-turealongwiththecontinueddelayswithnalizingimpactbenetagreementsIBAsforallfourFirstNations.AseparateconcernwasraisedbytheNWTMtisNationinitsownletterask-ingformoretimeforproperconsultation.DeBeersChiefOperat-ingOfcerGlenKoropchuksaidinaletterresponsethattheFirstNationscomplaintscompletelydisregardedanumberofcommitmentsmadethroughthemulti-yearreviewprocessasaresultofconsultationswiththeAb-originalgroupsincludingthecompanyscommitmenttofundNiHadiYati.KoropchukalsoarguedthatIBAsarenotrequiredtomiti-gateimpactsconsideringthereviewboardpanelsconclu-sionthatadversesocialim-pacts...arenotlikelytobesig-nicantprovidedthedeveloperimplementsitscommitmentsincludingthenegotiationandimplementationofanalSo-cio-EconomicAgreementwiththeGNWT.AfinalagreementwiththeterritorialgovernmentwassignedonJune28.OneIBAhasbeensignedwiththeNorthSlaveMetisAlliancewhichsupportedadvance-mentoftheproject.GahchoKuhasgonethroughthemostcompre-hensiveenvironmentalre-viewofanyminingprojectintheNorthwestTerritories.Throughthisprocessconsul-tationwithstakeholdershasbeenextensiveMountainProvinceCEOandpresidentPatrickEvansaddedinapressreleaselastweek.BothcompaniesindicatedtheywouldbereassessingtheGahchoKudevelopmentplantodeterminethesched-ulewhichwillbeaffectedbyprocessingtimeforthelandusepermitaswellasbuildingofthewintericeroad.GahchoKuisexpectedtoemployaround700peopledur-ingthetwoyearsofconstruc-tionandcloseto400duringits11-yearminelifewhereinitisforecasttoproduceanannualaverageof4.5millioncarats.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThedecisiontoapproveanexploratoryoilsandswinterdrillingprogramonAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNa-tionACFNterritorylastweekhastheFirstNationupsetthatconcernsraisedatrecentpublichearingswereignored.TheAlbertaEnergyReg-ulatorAERgavethego-aheadtoTeckResourceslastTuesdaytodrill177evalu-ationwellsonthewestsideoftheAthabascaRiverinanareadenedbyACFNascriticalhabitatoftheRolandLakeBisonherd-aspeciesatriskintheprovince.Thewellsarepartofanexploratoryprogramtosup-portTecksproposedFrontiermineprojectalsocurrentlyunderreview.ACFNsubmittedconcernstotheregulatoratpublichear-ingsinFortMcMurrayinAu-gustarguingthatthedrillingprojectwouldhavedirectandadverseimpactsontheabilityoftheFirstNationsmemberstoexercisetheirconstitutionalharvestingrightswhicharetiedtotheprotectionoflandwaterandwildlifelikebison.TheAERfoundthattheex-ploratoryprogramwouldbelocalizedtemporaryandofshortdurationandassuchwouldnotadverselyimpactAboriginalrights.ACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidanotherapprovalsignalstheprovincewillstopatnothingtoapprovefurtherdevelopmentintheregion.Itwouldseemseemthatourconcernsfallondeafearsandapplicationafterappli-cationandpolicyafterpol-icyarecontinuallyapprovedwithoutadequateconsultationorconsiderationofourinher-entandconstitutionallypro-tectedAboriginalandTreatyrightshesaid.Wevehadenough.Oureldersandmembersdontwanttoseeanymoredestruc-tionofourtraditionallandsandterritory.WehavedrawnalineinthesandandwedontwanttoseeanydevelopmentnorthoftheFirebagRiverandintoourhomelands.Wewilldowhatittakestoensureourrightsareprotectednowandintothefuture.AkeyconcernraisedbyACFNattheAugusthearingsinvolvedtheissueoflandten-ure.PresentlytheCrownisnotrequiredtoconsultwithAboriginalgovernmentswhenissuingleaseswhichtheFirstNationarguedfailstoaddressimpactsthatexploratoryproj-ectshaveonFirstNationsrightsandtitle.TheTeckprojectcomesontheheelsofseveralotherrecentapprovalsintheregionalsocontestedbyACFNincludingShellsJackpineopen-pitmineexpansionprojectdespitetheboardnotingthatincombina-tionwithotherexistingap-provedandplannedprojectstheminewouldlikelyhavesignicantadversecumula-tiveenvironmentalimpactsoneverythingfromwetlandstowildlifeandAboriginaltra-ditionallanduse.AdamsaidtheissuenotonlyaffectsACFNbutotherFirstNationsintheregionsuchastheFortMcKayFirstNationwhichisappealingtherecentapprovalofAthabascaOilSandsDoverprojectnearitsMooseLakereserve.FortMcKayhadrequesteda20-kmbufferzonearoundtheprojectinordertoprotecttheareatheyclaimistheirlastrefugeforpracticingtraditionalrightsasthecommunityiscurrentlysurroundedonthreesidesbyoilsandsdevelopment.Albertashighestcourtokayedtherequestforap-peallastMonday.IfpeoplereallyunderstoodthegovernmentofAlbertahasbeenpushingfullsteamaheadregardlessoftheimpactstothepublicandevidenceIwouldhopetheywouldbeappalledAdamsaid.TheactionsoftheAERdemonstratethatthegov-ernmentisfailingmiserablytoupholdtheirobligationsunderthelaw.Whenwestartmakingpositivechangeswithinthelawtheysimplychangethattoo.Allthreeprojectapprovalshingeuponthelandusepro-visionssetoutintheLowerAthabascaRegionalPlanLARPalsocurrentlybeingcontestedbyseveralFirstNa-tionsincludingACFN.ACFNclaimsLARPdoesnotaddressorprovideprotec-tionsfortreatyandAboriginalrightstraditionallanduseorcultureandinsteadidentiesbitumenextractionasapriority.Wehavetriedtoresolveourissueswithinthelimi-tationoftheregulatorysys-temthecourtsandevenonthestreetssaidErielDe-rangercommunicationsco-ordinatorforACFN.Yetnothingchangesitsbusi-nessasusualforindustrywhileourrightsareslowlybeingphasedoutalongwiththepristinebiodiversityandcultureintheregion.ExploratorydrillingapprovalupsetsAlbertaFirstNationIndustryOilsandsPhotoDeBeersTheGahchoKudiamondmineajointventureofDeBeersandMountainProvincereceivednalapprovalfromthefederalministerlastweek.