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EnvironmentCoalSpill2TuesdayDecember102013NEWSBRIEFSFortChipwinterroadopenstolighttrafctravellerscautionedThewinterroadbetweenFortChipewyanandFortMc-Murrayisopentolighttrafcunder5000kgasrecentlyannouncedbytheRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffalo.TravelersarecautionedtowatchforroughareasintheDeltausefourwheeldriveandobeyalltrafcsignsandspeeds.Theicebridgesareonlypassableonevehicleatatime.TheroadnorthfromFortChipewyantoFortSmithisnotyetopenduetooverowonthePeaceRiverattheMooseIslandcrossing.TheriverhadbeenrisingbutisstartingtodropandcrewsfromWoodBuffaloNationalParkhopetohavethatsectionopenasearlyasthisFriday.Themunicipalitywillbegivingupdatesonroadcondi-tionsweeklyviathewinterroadhotline1-866-743-6111.LegislativeAssemblylaunchesnewuser-friendlywebsiteTheNWTLegislativeAssemblyhasannouncedabrandnewwebsitetoutingitasafreshnewlookwitheasilynavigablepages.FeaturesincludeaphotogalleryvideoarchiveaninteractivecalendarandaccesstosocialmediasuchasFacebookandTwitter.UsersareencouragedtosharecontentwiththeAssemblythroughsocialmediasites.AccordingtoapressreleasefromtheLegislativeAssemblytheredesignedwebsitehttpwww.assem-bly.gov.nt.cacontinuestobuildontheircommitmenttopaper-savingstrategiesintroducedin2009.ManchargedafterFortMckaystabbingMahdiUgasofFortMcKayisbeingchargedwithas-saultaggravatedassaultandutteringthreatsagainstapersonafterpolicearrestedhimonNov.30inconnec-tionwithastabbinginthecommunity.Policewereonthesceneshortlyafter500p.m.afterhearingreportsoftheincidentandimmediatelyarrestedthe46year-oldUgas.ThevictimwhoseidentityhasnotbeenreleasedwastransportedtotheNorthernLightsRegionalHealthCentreinFortMcMurraywithnon-lifethreateningin-juriesandlaterreleased.UgaswillappearinFortMc-MurrayprovincialcourtonJan.152014.YoucanpickupyourticketsfromanyminorhockeyplayeroratanyoftheseFortSmithbusinessesFortSmithMinorHockeyNeedsYouCONGRATULATIONSTOCURTISSCHAEFERWHOWON1260ONTHEDECEMBER1STDRAWTICKETSAREONLY2.TouchofHeavenNWALLousSmallEnginesGiGisBakeryRustyRavenTDCPhoenixAutoNorthernJournalPelicanRapidsInnDrawdatesareDecember15and29January12and26February9and23March29and23.WINBIGBYPARTICIPATINGINOURBI-MONTHLY5050DRAW.AllfundsgotosupportFortSmithminorhockeyplayerdevelopmentandyouthathletics.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThemassivecoaltailingsplumeintheAthabascaRivermaybedissipatedaccord-ingtotheprovincialgovern-mentbutconcernedscien-tistsandhealthprofessionalssayitslastingeffectsontheriveranddeltaareonlyjustbeginning.WatershedscientistKevinTimoneysaidgovernmentofficialsaredownplayingthepotentialforlong-termimpactsfromthecoalslurryontheenvironmentbyclaim-ingthereisnolongercauseforconcern.DependingonparticlesizesolidsaresettlingtothebedoftheAthabascaRiveratdiffer-entdistancesdownstreamfromthespill.Becausethebenthiclifeinthesedimentsformthebasisfortheaquaticfoodwebintheriveranditsdeltathislargespillhasthepotentialtocauseharmforyearstocome.TheentireriverdownstreamofthespillmaybeaffectedTimoneysaid.Withhighriverowsnextspringandsummerdepositedcontaminantswillberemobi-lizedandmovefartherdown-streamwheretheywillsettleagainandberemobilizedinthefuturewhichwillresultinpulsesofcontamination.AportionofthecontaminatedsedimentswillaccumulateintheAthabascaRiverdeltaandadjacentLakeAthabascaanditsenvirons.Fishesandwaterbirdsmaybeharmedasmayhumanswhoharvestthem.TheAlbertagovernmentreportedMondaythatthe670000cubic-metreplumeofcoaltailingsreleasedintotheenvironmentonOct.31wasnolongerdistinguishablefromnormalbackgroundlev-elsofriverwaterdownstreamofFortMcMurrayprompt-ingGNWTEnvironmentof-cialstoannouncethereisnolongerathreattoNorth-ernwaters.Accordingtoprovincialofficialsthecontaminantsattachedtothesuspendedparticles-whichincludeheavymetalslikecadmiumandmer-curyalongwithcancer-linkedpolycyclicaromatichydro-carbonsPAHs-arebackatbelowbackgroundlevelsandnolongerexceedwaterqual-ityguidelinesfortheprotec-tionofaquaticlifeaswellasdrinkingwater.TheprovinceexpectstheenvironmentalprotectionorderissuedtothecompanyonNov.19tomitigateanyfu-turereleaseintotheenviron-mentduringspringfreshet.IntheNWTwatermoni-toringcontinuesontheSlaveRiverattheFortSmithwaterintake.AspringsamplingplanistobedevelopedoverthewinteraccordingtotheGNWT.Timoneysaidtheprovinceswaterqualityresultsleaveoutamajorpartofthestory.Hesaidmonitoringandemergencyresponseeffortsshouldhaveincludedsedimentsamplingsincemostofthecontaminantsreleasedintheslurrywereat-tachedtothesolidsratherthanintheprocesswater.Releaseofwaterqualityinformationwithoutsedi-mentandtoxicologyresultsservestounderestimatetheimpactshesaid.Timoneyisnottheonlyoneconcerned.PhysiciansinthelowerAthabascaregionDr.JohnOConnorandDr.Es-therTailfeathersalsorecentlyvoicedtheirconcernwiththelastingeffectsofthespillinajointstatement.Asphysiciansdevotedtoprovidingcaretodown-streamresidentsformanyyearsweareappalledattheindifferencethisgovernmentexhibitstowardstheoriginalinhabitantsofthisprovincewhilegoingoutofitswaytosupportindustrytheysaid.InvestigationintospillstillunderwayTheAlbertaEnergyRegula-torsAERinvestigationintohowthebermholdingbackthecoaltailingsatSherrittInterna-tionalsObedMountainminefailedremainsunderwayAERspokespersonDarinBartertoldTheJournalinanemail.HesaidtheAERwillnotissueupdatesastheinvesti-gationprogressesbutwillre-leasetheresultspubliclyoncetheinvestigationiscomplete.BarterwouldnotreleasedocumentstiedtotheAERspre-spillinspectionoftheminewhichwasundergo-ingremediationatthetimeofthebreakstatingthatin-formationwouldinformpartoftheoverallinvestigation.HoweverBartersaidtheObedminehadbeeninspectedonveoccasionssince2011withthemostrecentoccurringonOct.32013.Theresultsofthoseinspectionswerenormal.TheAERfoundnonon-complianceissuesthatwouldhaverequiredenforcementac-tionanddocumentationdur-ingtheseinspectionshesaid.AccordingtoBarterthetailingspondcontainedwaterandsmallamountsofunre-coveredcoalusuallyintheformofultraneparticulatesclayrockmineraldepositsandocculentwhichisusedasathickener.Hewasunabletogiveamoredetailedanalysisthoughre-sultsfromEnvironmentandSustainableResourceDevelop-mentshowedthepresenceofaluminumbariumcadmiumchromiumleadandmercuryinthespillalongwithnumerousPAHsthemajorityofwhichexceededlimitsforaquaticlifeanddrinkingwaterwithintherst40kmofthespillsmove-mentintotheAthabascaRiver.Scientistexpectslong-termdamagefromcoalspillPhotoSherrittInternationalAwatertestingteamtakessamplesfromtheAthabascaRivercheckingforcontaminantsfromthemassivetailingspondplumefromSherrittInternationalsObedMountaincoalmine.