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3TuesdayJanuary72014WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Berthaisasmallandfriendlycreature.Shemakesforgreatcompanyinanyhousehold.Hershort-hairedcoatiswonderfulforpetting.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.ByJACKDANYLCHUKSherrittInternationalin-tendstocompletethesaleofitscoalpropertiesbeforethedownstreamimpactsofamassivespillofcontami-natedwaterandsludgefromitsObedMountainminearefullyknown.ThecompanyannouncedthesalethedaybeforeChrist-masandpromiseditwillretainresponsibilityfortheObedspilllastHalloweenthatsent670000cubicme-tresofminewastesurgingthroughtwocreeksandintotheAthabascaRiver.Located30kmeastofHin-tontheObedminewasdor-mantforayearbeforethetailingsponddykefailedbutwasconsideredoperationalbySherritt.Sherrittwillcontinuetostandbehinditsresponsi-bilitiesthecompanysaidonacommunityinforma-tionwebsiteitestablishedtoprovideinformationonthespillandremediationworkthathasbeenhamperedbywinterconditions.ThesalewillbecompletebyMar.31.Sherrittofcialshaveacknowledgedthatuntiltheiceisgonefromtherivertheycantfullyassessthedamagefromthespillthatincluded90000tonnesofclayandcoalsludgeladenwitharsenicmercurycad-miumleadandmanganese.AsSherrittpreparesanupdatedreportonthedi-sasterthatisdueJan.17acoalitionofFirstNationsandnon-governmentorga-nizationsisaccusingthecompanyandgovernmentofdownplayingimmediateandlong-termimpacts.GovernmentofficialsdescribedthereleaseofOurndingsconictwiththoseofthegovernmentofAlbertaandSherrittthatsuggesttheplumedissipatedbeforereachingthePeaceAthabascaDeltaBruceMacleanACFNMCFNCommunity-BasedMonitoringProgramCompanyprovincedownplayinglong-termimpactsofObedcoalspilldisastersayFirstNationsSherrittannouncesitwillselloffcoaloperationsbyendofMarchEnvironmentCoalSpilltoxicwaterandsludgeasamajorfailurebutsaidthedownstreamimpactwouldbeaharmlessandbarelydiscernablechangeinwatercolourastheplumesweptby.commitmenttotranspar-entlong-termmonitor-ingwithfullFirstNationparticipation.TheAlbertaEnvironmentprotectionorderissuedlastNovemberrequiredSherrittpasseddownstreamcommu-nitiesuntilitwasdetectedatLakeAthabascaonDec.4.MonitoringbytheMiki-sewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationsde-tectedsedimentsthreetimesthepreviousbackgroundconcentration.Ourfindingsconflictwiththoseofthegovern-mentofAlbertaandSher-rittthatsuggesttheplumedissipatedbeforereachingthePeaceAthabascaDeltasaidBruceMacleanwhomanagestheFirstNationscommunity-basedmonitor-ingprogram.Webelievethespillwillhavelonglastingimpactsonfishandotherwild-lifeandconsequentlyonhumanhealth.TheMCFNandACFNseetheObedaccidentasadirectnega-tiveimpactontheirabil-itytoexercisetheirtra-ditionalrightsandareconsideringlegalactionMacleanadded.Sherrittsinitialreportondamagereferencedadecade-oldresearchpaperthatstatedtheAthabascaRiverhasanannualesti-matedsedimentloadfromnaturalerosionofabout6.4milliontonnescomparedtothe90000tonnesreleasedintheObedspill.PreliminaryresultsshowthatthesedimentintheAthabascaRiverasaresultofthereleasehadnomeasurableimpactonfishthereportsaid.Labtestsshowthattroutwereabletosurviveinthetur-bidwater.Assessmentsontheim-pacttofishhabitatbeganinNovemberbutsomefieldworkhasbeenlimitedduetowinterconditions.As-sessmentremediationandplanningworkwillcon-tinuethroughthewinterandintothespringthereportsaid.Inresponsethecoalitionsaidinapreparedstatementthatthecontaminantsthatenteredthewatershedhavenothoweverdisappearedandthereisnoinformationbeingprovidedaboutthefateofthecontaminantsandhowtheyareimpactingtheriverbottom.Muchofthelifeofarivercomesfromthebot-tom-exactlywherethesepollutantsincludinghighlytoxicmercuryarsenicandcadmiumaregoingtoendup.JuleAsteriskdirec-toroftheSocietyofHighPrairieRegionalEnviron-mentalActionCommitteesaidweremainverycon-cernedaboutthemediumandlonger-termimpactstothehealthoftheriverecosystemandtothosethatdependonitforfood.PhotocourtesyofSherrittInternationalApreliminaryreportfromSherrittinearlyDe-cembermaintainedthatwaterqualitywasnotatriskbutcriticshavepointedtothepresenceofmercuryandotherheavymetalsinthedischargeandcalledforchargesundertheFisheriesActandtheAlbertaEnvironmentalProtectionandEnhance-mentAct.ComprisedoftheMiki-sewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationsKeepersoftheAthabascatheCentralAthabascaStewardshipSocietyMin-ingWatchCanadaandtheRegionalEnvironmentalActionCommitteetheco-alitionwantsfulldisclo-sureofthecontentsoftheObedwastepondsandatoreturnthecreeksandrivertotheirpreviousstateandsetaseriesofdeadlinesforimmediateandlong-termre-sponsetothedisaster.Afullremediationplanlong-termmonitoringpro-gramandwildlifemitiga-tionplanweredueDec.13animpactassessmentbyDec.19andareportonsolidsrecoveryworkbyDec.20.Analreportisdue30daysafterremediationiscompletebutnodeadlinehasbeenset.Nocostesti-mateofthecleanupandres-torationworkwasmadebythegovernmentandSherrittdidnotrespondtoemailedquestionsaboutthereme-diationproject.Thetailingsplumetrig-geredwaterwarningsasitSherrittInternationalsremediationteamworkstocleanupwaterimpactedbythecoaltailingspondspillthatreleased670000cubicmetresofslurryintotheAthabascaRiveronOct.31.