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EnvironmentWatersheds16TuesdayJanuary142014ByMEAGANWOHLBERGFirstNationsfromBritishColumbiaAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriesaresayingnotoBCHydrosproposedSiteCdamclaim-ingthethirdhydroprojectonthePeaceRiverwillholddi-sastrousconsequencesfortheenvironmentdownstream.Hearingsforthe9.7-bil-lionhydroproposalinnorth-ernBCbeganinDecemberandaremakingtheirwayintoimpactedcommunitiesinbothnorthernBCandAl-bertawheremembersoftheTreaty8FirstNationshaveexpressedfirmoppositiontotheprojectthatwouldseetheirlandsoodedandwild-lifeimpacted.PublichearingsheatedupinHalfwayRiverBClastweekwhereFirstNationeldersthreatenedtoblockadecon-structioniftheprojectmovesahead.The1100-megawattfacilityjustsouthwestofFortSt.Johnwouldcreateareservoirooding83kmofthePeaceRiverand14kmoftheHalfwayRivercoveringtraditionalhuntinggroundsburialsitesandgatheringplaces.RepresentativesoftheHalfwayRiverFirstNationFirstNationsworriedaboutPeaceRiverdamTreaty8BCFirstNationsthreatenblockadesifSiteCapprovedincludingyouthleadersandelderssaidtheyhavealreadybeennegativelyimpactedbyBCHydrosWACBennettandPeaceCanyondamprojectsandrefusetoseetheirtra-ditionalwayoflifefurthercompromised.ItoldsomeofourgroupthatiftheyaregoingtobuildthedamtheyremakingtheyarestartingletsallgothereandjustblockadethemHalf-wayRiverelderMaisieMete-cheahsaidbeforethepanel.Ifweallgettogetherwewilldoitfromeachcommunity.Imnotafraidtoblockade.IdontcareifIgotojail.Idontcare.Thatsformyland.Imjustgoingtosavemyland.FirstNationsfurtherdown-streaminAlbertaarealsofrettingthethreattotradi-tionallivelihoodsposedbythedam.AjointsubmissionbytheMikisewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationsfromFortChipewyanexpresseddireconcernabouttheimpactoffurtherowregulationonthequicklychangingPeace-AthabascaDeltaPAD.ThesubmissionarguesthatBCHydrostwoexistingdamsonthePeacehaveradicallychangedthedeltaecosystembypreventingicejammingandthesubsequentrecharg-ingofthedeltashighestperchedbasins.Theresulthasseenaquaticlandscapestakenoverbytreesbecauseoflackofoodingandthealmostcompleteextirpationofthemuskrat.Onceapristineresilientsys-temthePADisnowavulner-ablesystemduetoprolongedandrisingnegativepressureontherechargeofitswet-landsandlakesstatesthesubmission.Anyassessmentoffuturedevelopmentmusttakeintoaccountthiscurrentconditionbecauseitsuggestsareducedabilitytowithstandincrementalrisingpressure.IntheNorthwestTerrito-riesDeneNationalChiefBillErasmussaidhehasbeenhearingconcernsaboutSiteCfromDenechiefsacrosstheNorthforyearsmanyofwhomhavemovedresolutionsatDeneNationmeetingsop-posingthehydroproject.IntheeventthatthisgoesforwardtheyhavetohavehearingscomeNorthbecausethisdirectlyaffectstheNorthErasmustoldTheJournal.TheyshouldgotoFortChipandYellowknifeandevenIn-uvikbecauseevenwiththeoriginalBennettdamthathasaffectedallthepeopleuptotheBeaufortDelta.Thatusedtobethemuskratcapitalofthelandnowyoureluckyifyoucanget100ayear.ErasmussaiditstimethatFirstNationswereconsultedonaregion-wideplanforin-dustrialdevelopmentratherthanbeingforcedtoreacttoindustrialprojectsonacase-by-casebasiswhichhesaiddoesnotmeaningfullyengageFirstNationsasalegitimategovernment.Wereforcedtorespondratherthansitdownandalltalkaboutwhatsinthebestinter-estofallofusErasmussaid.Iftheypushthisthroughitsgoingtoendupinthecourts.EnvironmentCoalSpillByJACKDANYLCHUKItwillbemonthsbeforethereisacostestimateforthecleanupoftheObedMinecoalspillincludingrestoringmilesofsilt-cloggedwaterwaystoproductiveshhabitat.SeanMcCaughanseniorvice-presidentofSherrittInternationalscoaldivisionsoontobesoldofftotwoseparatebuyerstoldTheJournalthatcostassessmentremediationandmonitoringwillcontinueformultipleyearsandrunintomillionsofdollars.SherrittannouncedatChristmasthatitexpectstocompletethesaleofitscoaldivisionbyApr.1butwillretainresponsibilityforallremediationcosts.LastHalloweenadykerupturedonatailingspondatthedormantmine30kmeastofHintonAlta.sending670000cubicmetresofcon-taminatedwaterand90000tonnesofsludgedowntwotributariesandintotheAtha-bascaRiver.CostsmountingonObedspilldisastercleanupBycomparisonestimatedcleanupcostoftheEnbridgepipelinespillwhichsent3millionlitresofoilsandsbi-tumenintoatributaryoftheKalamazooRiverinMichiganinJuly2010hassurpassed1billion.TheKalamazoodisasteralsogenerated3.7millioninnesforEnbridgefromthePipelineandHazardousMa-terialsSafetyAdministration.SofarnochargeshavebeenbroughtagainstSher-rittfortheObedspillthoughanenvironmentalprotec-tionorderwasissuedbytheAlbertagovernmentthreeweeksafterthespillorderingthecompanytocleanitup.IndependentmonitoringisbeingcarriedoutbyboththeAthabascaChipewyanandMikisewCreeFirstNationsintheFortChipewyanarea.TheFirstNationsaresettomeetwithSherrittinthenearfuturetodiscussnancialremunera-tionfortheirsamplingeffortsthoughnodatehasbeenset.ThecompanywasexpectedtoholdameetinginFortChipewyaninearlyDecem-berbutthatforumwascan-celledduetoastringofdeathsinthecommunity.withlesfromMeaganWohlbergItwillbemonthsbeforethereisacostes-timateforthecleanupoftheObedMinecoalspillincludingrestoringmilesofsilt-cloggedwaterwaystoproductiveshhabitat.Wereforcedtorespondratherthansitdownandalltalkaboutwhatsinthebestinterestofallofus...Iftheypushthisthroughitsgoingtoendupinthecourts.ChiefBillErasmusDeneNationPhotoTreaty8FirstNationsRepresentativesofTreaty8FirstNationsinnorthernBCmakeastrongshowingatSiteCsrsthearinginFortSt.JohnBCinDecember.AKLAVIKBEHCHOKOCOLVILLELAKEDELINEEAGLEPLAINSEKATIDIAMONDMINESENTERPRISEFORTGOODHOPEFORTLIARDFORTMCPHERSONFORTPROVIDENCEFORTRESOLUTIONFORTSIMPSONFORTSMITHGAMETIHAYRIVERINUVIKJEANMARIERIVERKAKISALUTSELKENAHANNIBUTTENORMANWELLS2011NationalAwardWinner2011BestAll-RoundinCanada2012TopThreeOverallinCanada2012BestEnvironmentalWriting2011CCNACANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2011CMCAAUDITEDYourSourceforNorthernNewsFindtheJournalinthesecommunitiesthroughouttheNorthPAULATUKSACHSHARBOURTROUTLAKETSIIGEHTCHICTUKTOYAKTUKTULITAULUKHAKTOKWEKWEETIWHATIWRIGLEYYELLOWKNIFEBytellingthestoriesofNorthernersweremakingourcommunitiesstronger