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2TuesdayNovember262013NEWSBRIEFSTimLenniechiefagaininWrigleyTimLenniewaselectedchiefofthePehdzehKiFirstNationinWrigleyonNov.13with21votes.RunnerupAlbertMosesgot19votesandSharonPelliseywhowasremovedaschieflastmonthinanon-condencevotereceived11.AformerchiefLennieresignedinAprilofthisyearcitinghealthproblems.RolandYendowasac-claimedinoneofthetwoavailablecouncillorpositionswhiletheotherremainsvacant.PattersonelectedchairofSenateCommitteeonAboriginalPeoplesNunavutSenatorDennisPattersonformerpremieroftheNWThasbeenelectedtoleadtheSenatescom-mitteeonAboriginalPeoples.PattersonservedintheNWTLegislativeAssemblyfor16yearsincludingaspremierfrom1987to1991.PattersonwasanintegralplayerinthesettlementoftheInuvialuitnalagreementandtheNunavutnallandclaimagreementbeforebeingappointedtorepresentNunavutintheSenatein2009.Createdin1989theSenateCommitteeonAboriginalPeoplesfocusesonlegislationandmattersthatrelatetoAboriginalpeoplesinCanada.NWTSenatorNickG.Sibbestonisalsoamemberofthecommittee.Hwy.63constructiontohitNorthWanderingRiverbridgeConstructionworkaimedattwinningHwy.63southofFortMcMurrayhashitWanderingRiverandwillin-creaseconstructiontrafcatthenewNorthWanderingRiverbridgecrossing.AccordingtoanAlbertagovern-mentpressreleasetrafcwillbeshutdownintermit-tentlyonthebridgelocated12kmnorthofthehamletasequipmentandmaterialaredeliveredtothebridgeconstructionsite.The1-billionhighwaytwinningproj-ecthasbeeninprogresssince2005andby2016willseenewnorthboundlanesbuiltthelengthofHwy.63.WEOFFERARANGEOFTHEBESTTIRESONTHEPLANETCOMETOUSIFYOUWANTWINTERTIRESBridgestoneBlizzakMichelinX-IceNokianR2TIRENORTHLTD.917MacKenzieHwySS22HayRiverNTX0E0R8Callusat867874-2686Weareyourwintertiresolution.Coalspillshouldserveaswake-upcallsaystopwaterscientistSchindlerdoubtsspillwillbefeltinSlaveRiverByMEAGANWOHLBERGOneofAlbertastopwater-shedscientistssayshedoubtsthemassivecoalsedimentspillintheAthabascaRiverwillbedistinguishablefromthetoxinsalreadypollutingthewatershedbutshouldserveasawake-upcallforthosedownstreamofoilsandstailingsponds.Dr.DavidSchindleroftheUniversityofAlbertawhosecareerhasbeenspentre-searchingcontaminantslinkedtoindustryintheAthabascaoilsandsregionsaidwhilehebelievestheAlbertagovern-mentiscorrectinassertingthe670000cubic-metrespillfromtheObedMountaincoalminelikelyholdsnoimme-diaterisktohumanhealthfuturetailingspondbreachesmostcertainlycould.Thisspillshouldbewake-upcallhetoldTheJournal.Similardykesareholdingbacktailingspondsintheoilsandsthataremuchlargerandmuchmoretoxic.Dykebreachesareunusualbuttheycanbedisastrous.Itistimewedidsomethingaboutthishugethreat.WithouthavingthetotalvolumereleasedforeachcontaminantSchindlersaidhissuspicionsaboutthere-centspillareguessesbutsaidmostofthesedimentswilllikelybedepositedinthePeace-AthabascaDeltaaroundFortChipewyanbe-foreslowlydispersingfar-therupstreammovingabiteachyear.Thoughitstooearlytotelllong-termeffectshesaidhedoubtsthisspillwillbedis-tinguishablefromexistingcontaminantsintheriverfromotherupstreamdevelopment.Idoubtwhetheritwillbepossibletotellanyeffectstherebutitmightbepossi-blethatsomeofthemercuryandothercontaminantswilladdtotheburdensofshthatarealreadytoohighhesaid.Pastdataarenotverygoodandmyguessisthatitwillbeimpossibletodistinguishthisspillfromthetotal.Determiningtheeffectsonhumanhealthbasedoncon-sumptionofshandotherwildlifeinthedeltahenotedwilltakemuchmoretime.Ifthereisenoughmer-curytofurtherelevatecon-centrationsinshitwilltakemonthstomoveintothefoodchain.Itmustbemethylatedrstabacterialprocessthatismorerapidinwarmweather.Wewillnotbeabletoknowthisuntilnextyearandthenonlyifthereiscomprehensivesamplinghesaid.Iamhopingthatitisnotsignicant.Preliminaryresultsre-leasedbyAlbertaEnviron-mentandSustainableRe-sourceDevelopmentESRDonTuesdayshowedmostofthecontaminantsfromthespillarecontainedinparti-clesthataresettlingoutalongtheriverbedasthe150-kmplumetravelsdownstreamatitsaveragerateofbetween2and5kmperhour.Thosecontaminantsin-cludemetalslikemercuryleadandzincalongwithseveralcancer-causingpoly-cyclicaromatichydrocar-bonsPAHsmanyofwhichwhensampledfromwithintheplumepresentedatlev-elsexceedingguidelinesfordrinkingwaterandprotec-tionofaquaticlife.WhileSchindlersaidhesuspectstherewillbesomemovementofcontaminantsdownstreamagainatspringfreshetthosewillmostlyslidealongtheriverbottomanddonotposegreatcauseforconcern.WatertreatmentfacilitiesalsolteroutparticleshesaidaddingthatFortSmithshouldnotbeconcerned.IthinkAlbertaHealthiscorrectthattherearenohumanconcernsfromdrink-ingwateroncethemuddycloudhaspassed.IdoubtwhetherthespillwillevenbedetectableintheSlaveRiverhesaid.TheterritorialgovernmentsaidonTuesdaythatitwascontinuingtotrackthecoalspillasitmakesitswayclosertotheNWT.CurrentlythereisnocauseforconcernaboutthespillintheNorthwestTerrito-riesEnvironmentandNatu-ralResourcesENRMinis-terMichaelMiltenbergersaidinapressrelease.WearecontinuingtotrackthespillandaremakingpreparationsformonitoringintheNWTshouldorwhentheplumemovesintotheSlaveRiver.TheplumeisexpectedtoarriveatLakeAthabascaaroundDec.4andshouldowratesremainthesamethesedimentcloudcouldreachtheNWTbetweenDec.7and10.AccordingtoENRdilutionisexpectedtomitigatesomeoftheconcernsbythetimethespillreachestheSlaveRiver.ThemajorityofwaterintheSlaveRivercomesfromthePeaceRiver.TheSlaveRiverhasameanannualowrateinexcessof4000cubicmetrespersecondsofurtherdilutionoftheplumeisex-pectedstatedtherelease.Albertaissuedanenviron-mentalprotectionorderonTuesdaydemandingSherrittInternationalcarryoutanum-berofremediationandmoni-toringeffortsmostlycenteredonthePlanteandApetowunCreekswhichsustainedtheimmediatedumpfromthetailingspondwhenthedykebreachedontheeveningofOct.31nearHintonAlta.AnewsreleaseissuedbySherrittlastweeksaidthecompanyisworkingcloselywithregulatorstorestoreaf-fectedareasandisfollowingthemovementofthesedi-mentpastdownstreamcom-munitieswhereitiscarry-ingoutdailywaterqualitymonitoring.EnvironmentTailingsSpillPhotoAlbertaEnvironmentBermsareplacedalongthemouthofthePlanteCreekasitmeetstheAthabascaRiverdownstreamoftheObedMountaincoalminenearHintonAlta.where670000cubicmetresofsedimenttailingsspilledintothewatershedonOct.31.