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EnvironmentTailingsSpill3TuesdayNovember262013FirstNationdemandsAlbertaministersresignationContinuedfrompage1.FirstNationsnorthofFortMcMurrayexpressedtheirfrustrationwiththegovern-mentsresponsetothespilllatelastweekwithonede-mandingtheministerofen-vironmentandheadoftheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorAERstepdown.AthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNinFortChipewyancalledfortheres-ignationofbothEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevelopmentESRDMin-isterDianaMcQueenandAERchairGerryProttiforfailingtodotheirjobs.ForthreeweekswehavebeenlivinginuncertaintyaboutthesafetyandlevelofcontaminationofourwatersystemssaidChiefAllanAdamwhotoldTheJour-nalACFNhadreceivednocommunicationfromtheAlbertagovernmentonthespill.Forusitsnotjustaboutourdrinkingwateritsaboutourrightsandculture.SmithsLandingFirstNa-tionChiefAndrewWanderingSpiritsaidhehasyettohearanythingofcialfromtheAl-bertagovernmentandonlyreceivedhisrstnotication-comingfromthecompany-onFriday23daysafterthespillhappened.ThisisatotaldisregardforallAlbertansdown-streamhesaid.Thisisourlifeherethiswaterthatgoesbyus.WhydidnttheynotifyeverybodyYoukindofloseyourcondenceinthesepeopleespeciallythegovernmentandindustry.WanderingSpiritsaidheisinconversationwithotherFirstNationsincludingACFNandtheDeneNationonpotentiallegalactioninresponse.WintercleanupplannedAccordingtothelatestupdatefromthecompanyonNov.18SherrittisinWoodBuffalocloseswaterintakeasspillpassesFortSmithWoodBuffalosaycoalspillnothreattowaterByMEAGANWOHLBERGArecentcoaltailingsspillmakingitswaypastFortMc-MurraytotheNWTthroughtheAthabascaRiversystemposesnothreattotheRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffaloRMWBorFortSmithsdrink-ingwaterbothmunicipalitiesassuredresidentslastweek.SherrittInternationalsde-functObedMountaincoalminereleased670000cubicmetresofcoalsedimenttailingsintotheAthabascaRivernearHintonAlta.onOct.31.Sincethenthegiantplumehasbeenmakingitswaydownstreamwithcommunitiesturningoffwaterintakesasthesedimentcloudpassesby.ThespillwasexpectedtopassbyFortMcMurrayovertheweekendbeforearrivingatFortChiparoundDec.4.WhilewaterqualityinsidetheplumewaswithinsafeguidelinesfordrinkingwaterbythetimeitarrivedinMc-MurrayaccordingtoAlbertaHealthintakewasbeingshutdowninbothFortMcMurrayandFortChipewyanasapre-cautionarymeasurealongsidetheongoingsampling.WewillbecontinuingwiththeveryvigoroussamplinganalysisprogrambothattheintakeandthebackendofthetreatmentonthedistributionsystemtoensurethewatermeetsthefederalguidelinessaidDarcyDragonettiactingdirectorofEnvironmentalSer-viceswithRMWB.Thesecondmeasurewillbetoclosetheintakesastheplumepassesbyandunlesswehaveanyoperationalis-suesorfreezingoftheintakeourintentistokeeptheintakesclosedfortheduration.DragonettisaidFortMc-Murrayhasweeksofwaterreserves.ThoughFortChiphasquiteabitlesshesaidtheintakeextends1kmintoLakeAthabascawellawayfromthestreamow.HesaidissuesofintakeinFortChipwillbeatthebehestoffreez-ingmorethancapacity.Iftheintakefreezesthenweregoingtobeoutofwaterandwontbebackinwateruntilspringhesaid.Thatsthemainrisksowelldoev-erythingthatwecanintermsofclosingtheintaketillsuchtimethatwecant...ButwereinitiatingthesamestandardofcareifweregoingtoclosetheintakeatMcMurraythenwellcloseitatChip.DownstreamofcialsattheTownofFortSmithsaidwatertreatmentcontinuestooccurnormallyandthatstaffareworkingcloselywithboththeterritorialandfederalgovern-mentstomonitorfreshwaterintakeduringtheperiodbeforeandafterthewaterexposedtotheplumeowsthroughtheSlaveRiver.ThoughAlbertaHealthof-cialssaidtheplumeposesnoimmediaterisktohumanhealthconcernspersistbasedonwaterqualitysamplesre-portinghigherthanaccept-ablelevelsofsomemetalsandhydrocarbonswhichcanbetoxictoaquaticlifeandhumans.Accordingtotheprovincialgovernmenttheplumeisset-tlingoutasittravelsdownriverwiththemajorityofthesedi-mentsbeingdepositedalongtheriverbed.InternationallyrespectedwatershedscientistDavidSchindleroftheUniversityofAlbertasaidheexpectedthemajorityoftheremain-ingsedimentstobedepos-itedinthePeace-AthabascaDeltaareaandthatthespillwouldlikelybeundetectableintheSlaveRiver.WhiletheTownexpectstheplumetodissipatebeforeitreachestheSlaveRiverwhichisfedmostlybywaterfromthePeaceandnottheAthabascaitisstilltakingprecautionarymeasuresandhasabackupplanforwaterintakeifrequiredthoughMunicipalServicesdirectorKeithMorrisonsaidthatwilllikelybeunnecessary.MorrisontoldcouncilatlastTuesdaysmeetingthatFortSmithsClass3waterplantcanhandlesedimentsataturbid-itylevelof1000ntuwhichalreadyexceedsthecurrentstatusoftheplume.Albertastestingindicatesmostcontaminantsareattachedtoparticlesinthewatermean-ingtheycanbelteredout.Thetownsfacilitiesarecapableofstoringuptoeightdaysofwaterbyreducingwaterpressure.Watercanalsobepulledfromanalternativesourcebytruckanddeliveredtothewaterplantforprocess-ingifmorethaneightdaysofwaterarerequired.MonitoringstationshavebeensetupatFitzgeraldAlta.andatthewatertreatmentplantintakelocationwheresamplingbeganlastFridaytoestablishabaselinefortesting.Watertestingwillcontinuethroughoutthewinterandduringspringmelttoensurewaterqualitystayswithinthesafeguidelines.Morrisonaddedthatthetownisalsoworkingtoensuremoretimelycommunicationwiththeterritorialgovernmentonsimi-larmattersinthefutureastheTownwasonlynotiedofthespillonNov.8afterinquiring.NWTsenvironmentministerwasnotiedonNov.4.Alocalmaildropwascar-riedoutonThursdayandFortSmithSAOJimHoodsaidtheTownswebsiteandFacebookpagewillcontinuetobeupdatedasmoreinfor-mationbecomesavailable.continuousdialoguewiththeregulatorregardingre-mediationplansandactionsandhaswinterremediationeffortsplanned.Plansforwinterworkareunderwayandwillin-cluderemediationoftheimpactedzoneintheUpperApetowunCreekareathecompanysaid.Thisworkcannotbeginuntilfrozenconditionsexistasthiswillmini-mizefurtherimpactstotheenvironment.PhotoAlbertaEnvironmentEnvironmentTailingsSpillPhotoAlbertasOilSandsWoodBuffaloclosedwaterintakeattheFortMcMurraywatertreatmentplantwhiletheplumepasseddespiteassuringthepublicthatthewaterissafetodrink.Aslurryof670000cubicmetresofcoalsedimenttailingsmakesitswaydowntheAthabascaRiver.TheplumeisexpectedtoarriveinFortChipewyanbyDec.4.