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3TuesdayNovember122013TheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesispleasedtoannouncethattheDepartmentofFinanceislaunchingTheFinancialSharedServicesCentreinFortSmithThenewcentreopenedonMondayNovember42013andwillprovideourbusinesspartnerswithaconvenientonestopcontactforprocessingallGNWTDepartmentsandtheNWTHousingCorporationnancialtransactions.ToensuretheGNWTcontinuestomaintainahighlevelofservicetoourbusinesspartnerspleaseensurenancialinformationisreroutedtotheFinancialSharedServicesCentreatIfyouareinterestedinlearningmoreabouttheFinancialSharedServicesCentrepleasecontact867872-2450.ThankyouforyoursupportandwelookforwardtobeingofcontinuedservicetoyouandhopeyouwillenjoythebenetsoftheGNWTFinancialSharedServicesCentre.TheGNWTFinancialSharedServicesCentreisopeninginFortSmithFinancialSharedServicesDepartmentofFinanceGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesP.O.Box876182BMcDougalRd.FortSmithNTX0EGiantMinecleanupteamfearsmillionsmoreincostsyearsofdelaysifreviewboardreportacceptedEnvironmentMineRemediationByMEAGANWOHLBERGGiantMinecleanupcostscouldincreasebytensofmil-lionsanddelayworkbyyearsifthefederalremediationteamisforcedtocomplywiththe27mandatorymeasuresimposedbythereviewboardlastJune.Theprojectteamcom-plainedinaletterlastweekthatsixoftheMackenzieValleyEnvironmentalImpactReviewBoardsrecommenda-tionsareofsignicantcon-cernwithrespecttoincreasingthescopescheduleandcostofthecleanupthatalreadyhasapricetagofnearly1billion.Iftheresponsibleminis-tersweretoacceptthereviewboardsrecommendationswith-outmodicationthiswouldcauseasignicantdelaytoproj-ectimplementationWean-ticipatethatthiswouldcauseaminimumdelayofthreeyearsalthoughadelayoffouryearsorlongercouldrealisticallyre-sulttheletterstates.Thedelaywouldbeinad-ditiontothetwoyearsalreadyforecastbetweenthecompletionoftheenvironmentalassess-mentandregulatorypermitting.Thecleanupteamexpectsthedelaytobetheresultofthesequentialnatureofsomeofthereviewboardsrecommendationswhichrequireonemeasuretobecompletedbeforeanotheronecanbegin.AccordingtothecleanupteamthedangeroffurtherdelaysisaburdencarriedbythepeopleofYellowknifeandsurroundingarea.Adelayleavesinplaceadangerousanddeterioratingstatusquothatwillexposethecommunityandtheenvi-ronmenttocontinuedorin-creasedrisktheletterstates.Thelongertheundergroundchambersremainunfrozenthegreaterthepotentialthatasignicantdeteriorationordisturbancecouldreachoraffectthe237000tonnesofarsenictrioxide.Expertssaytheamountisenoughtokilleveryhumanintheworld.Remediationplansfortheminesitepro-posefreezingthearsenicdustundergroundforever.Whiletheletterlistshumanhealthandsafetyandenvi-ronmentalprotectionastheprimaryobjectivesofthecleanupteamitnotescostcontrolmustbeconsidered.Thefederalgovernmentex-pectsthereviewboardsrecommendationstoincreasecostsbypotentiallyhundredsofmillionsofdollars.ThecosttorelocateBakerCreekwhichthecleanupteamsaidmaynotbeanecessaryap-proachcouldcostanywherefrom25millionto45millionalone.Thehumanhealthriskassessmentcalledforinthere-portasanotherexamplecouldseecostsincreaseby60-100millionasaresultoftheantici-patedthreetofour-yeardelayrequiredtoaddresssequentialconditions.Thecleanupteamwouldalsoliketodoawaywiththeboardsrecommendationsurroundinganindependentoversightcom-mitteewhichitarguescurrentlyallowstheworkinggroupavetoonallmajorprojectactivitiesincludingauthorityoverproj-ectmanagementandfundingallocation.Withsuchawhollyunbal-ancednegotiationenviron-menttheteamnoteditmaydelaytheprojectindenitely.WeledehMLABobBrom-leyaccusedthecleanupteamofactingliketheworstoftheminingcompaniesintheircomplaints.Theywanttorejectormodifyoverhalfofthere-viewboardrequirements.Theyrejectanyneedforanenvironmentalagreementorindependentoversight.Theyrejecttheneedtodoresearchonabettersolutionortospendmoneywhereneeded.ModernminingcompaniesknowthatyouneedtohavethepublicstrustBromleysaidinthelegislaturelastweek.Theenvironmentalas-sessmentwasoneofthemostthoughtfulwellconsidereddocumentsIhaveseen.Un-liketheprojectteamtheagencyconsultedwiththepubliclistenedtotheircon-cernsandmaderequirementsthataddressedthosecon-cerns.Thepublicagreed.Thecleanupprojectisfundedbythefederalcon-taminatedsitesprogram.Atotalof3.6billionwassetasidefor15yearsforthepro-gramstartingin2005.Thelongertheundergroundchambersre-mainunfrozenthegreaterthepotentialthatasignicantdeteriorationordistur-bancecouldreachoraffectthe237000tonnesofarsenictrioxide.GiantMineProjectTeamPhotoMeaganWohlbergEmergencycleanupanddemolitioneffortsatthedefunctGiantMinesitebeganlastwinterandareongoing.SpillinrivertoreachFortMcMurraythisweekContinuedfrompage1.Accordingtothecompanyaninvestigationintothein-cidentisongoing.Wewillensureweunder-standandaddressthecauseandanyimpactsofthein-cidentasthoroughlyandquicklyaspossiblePaulaMysonmanagingdirectorofcommunicationsforSherritttoldTheJournalinanemail.Shesaidthecompanyhasapproximately100employ-eesandcontractorson-siteincludingengineersenvi-ronmentalspecialistsandaquaticandwaterspecialistswithadditionalstaffwork-ingoutoftheAlbertaofce.TheregulatorsaidtheObedsitewassubjecttoanannualinspectionbutwouldnotdisclosedetailsofwhatwasfoundduringthatin-spection.AERspokespersonDarinBartersaidthosede-tailswouldbereleasedwiththefullinvestigationreportonceitiscompleted.Barterwasunabletopointtotheexactchemicalmakeupofthetailingsbutislookingintoit.Sofaritisunderstoodthatthepondcontainedhighlevelsofsuspendedsolids...suchasclayandorganicmat-tercoaldustsandanddirt.Themassiveloadofdirtywatertraveled25kmdowntwocreeksbeforehittingtheAthabascaandformingthemuddyplumethatwasjustoutsideofFortAssiniboineasoflatelastweek.AccordingtoPottertheplumeismovingatarateofaround5kmhoursoquiteslowandwasexpectedtoreachFortMcMurrayafterthelongweekendsometimethisweek.Shesaidthesizeoftheplumeisdifculttodetermineasitsettlesout.ItsactuallystartingtodissipatePottersaid.Fromtheairyouwouldseeasedi-mentplumeandIthinktheproblemisbecauseitsdis-sipatingtheydonthaveacompletepictureofwherethetailendisbuttheyretrack-ingtheleadingedgebecausethatswhatwereusingtokeepmunicipalitiesintheknow.Tencommunitiesimmedi-atelydownstreamoftheleakwerenotiedonNov.1andhavenotbeendrawingwaterfromtheAthabascaRiver.Farmershavealsobeenin-structednottoallowtheirlivestocktodrinkfromtheriveruntilfullsamplingre-sultsareknown.Ithinktheproblemisbecauseitsdissipat-ingtheydonthaveacompletepictureofwherethetailendisbuttheyretrackingtheleadingedgebecausethatswhatwereusingtokeepmunicipalitiesintheknow.JessicaPotterAlbertaEnvironmentSustainableResourceDevelopmentEnvironmentTailingsSpill