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MinistersacceptGiantMinecleanupmeasuresignoreprojectteamcomplaintsDelineselfgovernmentdecisioninhandsofthepeopleRaticationvotescheduledforMar.10to12EnvironmentRemediation7TuesdayJanuary142014PoliticsFirstNationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGDespitethreatsfromtheprojectteamthattheGiantMinecleanupwouldbede-layedbyyearsduetoin-creasednancialcoststhefederalministersresponsi-blefortheremediationproj-ectgavethethumbsupoverChristmastothemajorityofmeasuressetoutbythere-viewboardlastyear.FederalAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentAANDCMinisterBernardValcourtsentalettertotheMackenzieValleyEnvi-ronmentalImpactReviewBoardonDec.23accept-ing17ofthe26mandatorymeasuresandsuggestingminorchangesinwordingtotheremainingnine.TheResponsibleMin-istersandIarepleasedandsupportiveoftheworkunder-takenbytheReviewBoardforthisEnvironmentalAs-sessmentandacknowledgethesupportexpressedbynumerousstakeholderssincethereportwasreleasedValcourtwroteonbehalfofAANDCEnvironmentCanadaandthedepartmentofFisheriesandOceans.AccordingtotheletterAANDChasagreedtochangetheprojecttimeframeto100yearsratherthanlookatitasaperpetualcareproj-ectaswellasinvestigateandreportlong-termfund-ingoptions.Canadahasalsoagreedtodesignabroadmonitor-ingprogramfocusedonthehumanhealthimpactsofar-senicuseionexchangetech-nologyforwatertreatmenttomeetdrinkingwaterqualitystandardsandconsultwithboththeCityofYellowknifeandthenearbyYellowknivesDeneFirstNationtodeter-minetheenduseofthesitefollowingremediation.Thecleanupeffortsin-cludethetake-downandremovalofalldefunctbuildingsonsite-aprojectthathasbeenintheworkssincelastspring.Belowthesurfacetheteamhasde-velopedasystemtokeepundergroundchamberscontaining237000tonnesofdeadlyarsenictrioxidedustfrozeninperpetuityoruntilanimprovedinno-vationemergesforitssafecontainmentordisposal.KevinOReillyofNGOAl-ternativesNorthanindepen-dentwatchdogoverseeingtheremediationsaidAANDCsdecisionwasasurprisingbutwelcomeearlyChrist-maspresentconsideringthecleanupteamsnegativeanddisappointingreactiontothereviewboardsreportlastfall.TheprojectteamsaidinearlyNovemberthatmea-suresprescribedbythere-viewboardwereoutsidethescopeoftheprojectandwouldcauseunnecessarydelaysofthreetofouryearsandcostincreasestothecleanupal-readytaggedat1billion.ClearlytheministersdidntacceptthatadviceandreallyIguessweremuchmoreinlinewithwhatfolksintheNorthhavebeensay-ingaboutthereviewboardreportOReillysaid.Wewanttocommendtheminis-tersfordoingtherightthing.HesaidhebelievesthemotionsmadebyYellow-knifeCityCouncilandintheNWTLegislaturealongwithlettersofsupportfromtheYellowknivesDeneFirstNationtheNorthSlaveMtisAllianceandthreeYellow-knifeMLAssupportingthereviewboardsrecommenda-tionstrumpedthecomplaintsofthecleanupteam.OReillysaideventhechangesinwordingproposedbytheresponsibleministerswerebenecialinmostcases.Mostofthewordingchangesarereallyquiteminorandreallyhelpstrengthenandclarifyrolesandresponsibili-tiestimingthatsortofthingandIthinkthatsactuallyquitegoodhesaid.OverthecomingyearOReillysaidhewouldbepayingcloseattentiontohowtheyettobenegotiatedinde-pendentoversightbodyforthecleanupprojectcomesintoplay.Theyvesaidthattheyresupportiveoftheideaofin-dependentoversightandanenvironmentalagreementandthattheworkinggroupthatwassetupbasicallytonegotiatethatarrangementneedstogetbackmeetingandnegotiatingagainhesaidnotingthathadbeenarequestofstakeholderssinceSeptember2012.Nowwiththiskickfromtheministershopefullythatsgoingtogetgoingagainandmaybeweneedsomenewfacesatthetableforthefed-eralandterritorialgovern-mentatthetabletogetthisarrangementnished.BothlevelsofgovernmentalongwiththecityFirstNa-tionsandorganizationslikeAlternativesNorthwillbemeetingtodiscussthemin-istersproposedamendmentsonJan.20inYellowknife.PhotoDonJaqueByMARIACHURCHThedecisiononwhethertheSahtucommunityofDelinewillbetherstintheNWTtoachieveselfgovernmentisnowinthehandsofthepeo-plewhowillbeaffectedbyit.ChiefnegotiatorsinitialedtheFinalSelf-GovernmentAgreementonDec.16ef-fectivelygivingthegoaheadtothedocumentwhichhasbeenintheworksfor18yearsthismonth.ThenextandnalstepisaraticationvotefrommembersoftheDelineFirstNationandbeneciariesoftheSahtuDeneandMtisComprehensiveLandClaimAgreementregisteredwiththeDelineLandCorp.Inordertopassmorethan50percentofvotersmustbeinfavour.Topreparefortheratica-tionsteptheDelinenegotia-torshavelaunchedamassivecommunicationstrategytoin-formvotersofthenow-publicagreementandencouragethemtovote.DannyGaudetchiefnego-tiatorforDelinetoldTheJour-naltheraticationvotewillbetheendoftheselfgovernmentnegotiationswiththefederalandterritorialgovernmentsregardlessofayesornovotefromthecommunity.IfmembersvoteinfavourDelinewillonlyjustbegintheprocessoftransferringpow-erstoacentralizedDelineGotineGovernmentthatwilldeliverprogramsandservicesandhavegreatercontroloverthecommunitysfuture.Ikeepexplainingtopeoplethatwevechangedovera60-yearperiodfrombeingnomadicpeopletowherewearetodaydontexpectthechangetoselfgovernmentovernightGaudetsaid.Itsgoingtotakealotofenergyandtime.Ifitsanovoteevery-thingwillstaythesamehesaid.Nothingchangesweallgohome.Idontwanttothinkaboutit.Gaudetandtheteamofne-gotiatorsheldaninformationalworkshopwithDelinescommu-nityelderslastweek.Severalis-suessuchastraditionalhealingfundsandaccesstoAboriginalhealthbenetswerebroughtupbutquicklyclaried.TheeldersunderstandwhatwearetryingtodosotheyarequitesupportiveofitGaudetsaid.SeveralmoreinformationalsessionshavebeenscheduledinthecommunityaswellasacrosstheterritoryandinEdmontonandCalgaryas50percentofeligiblevotersdonotresidesolelyinthecom-munityofDeline.Thecommunityalonemightnotbeabletopassthisagree-mentsowewillhavetoworkreallyhardwithmembersout-sidethecommunitytomakesuretheyallvoteGaudetsaid.Aspartofthecommuni-cationstrategythenegotia-torsrolledoutanewwebsitecalledourdeline.caandhavecreatedsocialmediapagesonFacebookandYoutube.Wearetryingtoreachyouththroughsocialmediabutwearealsotryingtohaveface-to-facewiththem.Itsbettertohaveface-to-facesowecanexplainthingsproperlygivethemideasofhowitwillworkandsquashanymisunderstand-ingsGaudetsaid.ForinformationabouttheDelineagreementandasched-uleofinformationalsessionsvisitwww.ourdeline.caDannyGaudetchiefnegotiatorforDelineinitialstheDelineSelf-GovernmentAgreementonDec.16.FinalapprovalisnowuptothepeopleofDelinewithavotethisMarch.PhotoTaitCommunicationsKevinOReillyofAlternativesNorthsaysCanadasapprovalofthereviewboardsreportontheGiantMineremediationwasanearlyChristmaspresentforYellowknifers.