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EnvironmentOilSpill6TuesdayNovember192013ByMARIACHURCHNewstatementsfromCa-nadianNaturalResourcesLtd.CNRLthecompanyresponsibleforongoingbi-tumenleaksatanoilsandssitenearColdLakeinnorth-easternAlbertasaycleanupisnow80percentcompleteandthechallengeofprevent-ingfutureleaksistotallysolvable.JulieWoopublicaffairsadvisorwithCNRLtoldTheJournalinanemailthatthecompanyhasobtainedaccesstotheleaksitesremovedvegetationwherenecessaryandbuiltbermstocontaintheseepage.Noincrementalenvi-ronmentalsurfacedamageisexpectedgoingforwardshesaid.Preventingfutureleaksisatechnicaloperationalchal-lengethatistotallysolvableWoosaid.CNRLwasissuedacleanupandremediationorderbyAlbertasEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevelopmentESRDinSep-temberfourmonthsafterthecompanyreportedbitumensurfacinginfourseparateareasonitsPrimroseandWolfLakeoilsandsoperationsites.JessicaPottercommunica-tionsofcerforESRDcon-rmedthatthesurfacesiteshavebeencleanedwiththeexceptionofthessureareawhereCNRLhasbuiltstruc-turestocontaintheongoingreleaseofbitumen.PottersaidCNRLhassub-mittedadetailedplanfordeter-miningtheimpactstoground-waterandtherootcausesoftheleaksaspartoftheenforce-mentorderwhichhasbeenapprovedbythedepartment.WhileatimelinehasnotbeenreleasedthereisanexpectationofexpediencyPottersaid.Theresalwaysapossibilityoffurtherenforce-mentactionifneededduringtheinvestigation.CNRLstateditiscondentthatwellborefailuresaretherootcauseofthePrimroseseepagesnotblowstothecaprockintegrityoftheareacausedbysteaminjectionpro-ceduresaswassuspectedbytheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorAERin2009afterasimilarincidentintheareainvolvinganotherCNRLproject.TodatewehaveidentiedfourlegacywellsasthemostlikelywellborefailuresthataretherootcauseofseepagesWoosaid.Twoofthesefourwellshaveidentiedmechani-calfailuresandwewillbeun-dertakingadditionalworktoprovethisconclusively.Anotherwelliscurrentlyunderreviewandthelastisawaitingapprovalforaccessshesaid.PreventionnotcleanupsayFirstNationsAspokespersonforColdLakeFirstNationsCLFNwhosetreatyterritorysur-roundstheleaksitessaidtheincidentshowsthattheAERisnotdoingenoughtopreventfaultytechnologyfrombeingusedbyoilsandscompanies.Thetechnologytheyareusingthesteamassistedgrav-itysystemweusedtoalwayssayitwouldcauseadverseef-fectsoncethisdevelopmentcomesaheadsaidbandcoun-cillorCecilJanvier.Weusedtobegivenac-knowledgementthatitsallfoolproofsafeallthatbutourelderstoldustobewatch-fulofwhatgoesonaroundushesaid.CLFNhasbeenkeptintheloopasfarasremediationef-fortsareconcernedbybothCNRLandtheAERJan-viersaidhoweverhesaidtheconversationshouldhavestartedlongbeforetheleakswereeverapossibility.HesaidanincidentliketheColdLakeleaksshouldntbethereasontheAERde-cidestoconsultwiththeFirstNation.Wewanttobeincludedintheregulatoryprocessmeaningatthetimeofsign-ingleasingandsigningper-mitsJanviersaid.Thisisourtraditionalterritory.CNRLcondentColdLakeleaksaretotallysolvableFirstNationssaysafetyshouldbeconsideredbeforeoilspillsPhotoColdLakeFirstNationsClean-upofbitumen-affectedareasaroundColdLakeisnow80percentcompletewithbermsinplacetopreventleaksfromenteringnearbywaterbodiesaccordingtothecompany.