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TestsshowGiantMinecleanupcrewexposedtoarsenicEnvironmentMineRemediationTransportationInfrastructure7TuesdayFebruary42013StrugglingToPayYourRentAreyoupayingmorethan30ofyourgrossincometowardsrentAreyou19yearsareolderHaveyoulivedintheNorthwestTerritoriesforatleastoneyearIfsotheNorthwestTerritoriesHousingCorporationsTransitionalRentSupplementProgramcouldpayupto500ofyourrentforuptotwoyearsTheNorthwestTerritoriesHousingCorporationDistrictOcesareholdingpublicmeetingsnextweek.ItsyourchancetoaskquestionsandndoutiftheTransitionalRentSupplementProgramisforyou.ThemeetingswillbeheldSouthSlaveinHayRiverFebruary32014from100-200pmSahtuinNormanWellsFebruary42014from200-300pmNorthSlaveinYellowknifeFebruary52014from130-230pmBeaufortDeltainInuvik-February62014from200-300pmNahendehinFortSimpsonFebruary62014from200-300pmVisitourwebsitewww.nwthc.gov.nt.caEmailusatNWTHC_TRSPgov.nt.caTelephoneourtollfreenumber1-866-956-9842ByMEAGANWOHLBERGOfcialsinchargeoftheGiantMineremediationef-fortsareunsurewhy28oftheircleanupworkersarepresentingelevatedlevelsofarsenicintheirurine.Regularmedicalmonitor-ingofemployeeswhichin-cludesweeklyurinesamplesshowsnearly30workershavebeenexposedtoarsenictri-oxidecontainedintheminewithlevelsofatleast35mi-crogramsofarsenicperlitreofurine.ThedefunctgoldmineunderremediationbyAb-originalAffairsandNorth-ernDevelopmentAANDCsincelastMaycontainsun-dergroundchamberscontain-ing237000tonnesofarse-nictrioxideadeadlytoxinandknowncarcinogencre-atedduringtheoreroastingprocess.DaveGrundypresidentoftheWorkersSafetyandCompensationCommissionByMARIACHURCHAftermonthsofdelaysthetwo-yearconstructionprojecttobuildtheIngra-hamTrailbypassaroundtheGiantMineinYellowknifeisnishedandallowingtrafctohittheroad.ThedepartmentofTrans-portationskippedtheelabo-ratelaunchceremonymainlyduetothecoldweatheropt-ingtosimplyremovethebarrierstothenewbypassFridayafternoonaccord-ingtospokespersonEarlBlacklock.Thenewnearly6-kmstretchofroadbeginsonHigh-way3nearFredHenneTerri-torialParkakilometrewestoftheoriginalintersectionforHighway3andIngrahamTrailandrejoinsneartheYel-lowknifebridge.TheoldHighway4willremainopenforpublicac-cesstotheskiclubprop-ertythesolidwastefacil-ityandboatlaunchareaswhileVeeLakeRoadandtheYellowknifeRiverDayUseAreaarenowaccessedfromthebypass.Currentlyagravelroadwithpavingscheduledforlaterin2014thebypasscompletioncomesjustinIngrahamTrailbypassopenintimeforminetrafcGNWTestimatesprojecton-budgetdespitemonthsofdelaystimefortheopeningoftheiceroadstotheLacdeGrasdiamondminesnortheastofYellowknife.TheresalotofveryheavytrucksthatgoontheroadBlacklocksaid.SeveralthousandvehiclesuseittoaccesstheTibbitttoCont-woytowinterroad.Itsallofthevehiclesthatusetheiceroadtothediamondmines.DelayedbutwithinbudgetGNWTConstructionbeganonthebypassinlate2012withabudgetof17millionandwasscheduledforcompletioninOctoberof2013.Whiletheprojectisstillestimatedtocomeinonbud-getdesignconcernswithoneofthebridgesontheroutecausedtheprojecttolagmonthsbehindscheduleBlacklocksaid.Inthequalityassurancestepwefoundissueswithonethebridgesthathadtoberedesignedhesaid.Theyhadsomeengineeringissueswiththeoriginaldesignsothebridgedidntquitelineupaswewanteditto.Thecontractorwentbackandre-designeditsoitwouldmakethatapproval.TheGNWTawardedtheprojectcontracttoDetonChoConstructionbackin2012amoveheavilycriti-cisedbyRangeLakeMLADarylDolynnywhoraisedalarmsaboutthelackofacompetitivebidprocess.DolynnytoldTheJour-nallastThursdaythathisissueisnotwiththecontrac-torbuttheGNWTsanti-quateduseofsole-sourcecontractingparticularlywithlong-termconstruc-tionprojects.Wevegottobeverycarefulasagovernmenthowweputcross-hairsoncertaincompaniesandweprovidehallpassesforoth-ersItsaboutfairnesshesaid.Dolynnysaidhehasyettoseethenalnumbersfortheprojectbutiscurioustoseeifitwillcomeinonbudget.ImhopingandImcross-ingmyngersthattaxpayersdonthavetoincuranycostoverrunshesaid.NewroadallowsGiantMinecleanupTheGNWTsoriginalmo-tivationtobuildthebypassroadwasthedeterioratingconditionofIngrahamTrailwhichbuiltinthe1960swasnolongeruptosafetystandardsbutthebypasshasalsobecomeapriorityfortheteamoverseeingtheremediationofGiantMine.TheGiantMinereme-diationteamwasoneofthemaingroupsthatwecon-sulted.ItwasadepartmentofTransportationprojectbutwetooktheirneedsintocon-siderationBlacklocksaid.TheoldIngrahamTrailroadpassedoveranumberoftheGiantMinesvaultsthatstorearsenictrioxidedust-atoxicsubstanceproducedbythegoldpuricationprocess.Withtheroadgonethecleanupteamwillnowhavefullaccesstodismantlethechamberswhichareconsid-eredthemainenvironmentalhazardbytheGiantMinere-mediationteam.WSCCsaidAANDCisboundbylegislationtoshareallcasesofelevatedlevelswiththecommissionwhichrststartedcominginaroundAugustoflastyear.Thoughsicknessfromar-senicexposurecantakede-cadestoappearhesaidhewantsworkerstounderstandtherisksandtheclaimspro-cessnow.Sicknessasaresultofarse-niccantakemanymanyyearsanditmaynoteverhappen.Sothatsthewholeissuehere.PeoplehavebeenexposedwilltheygetsickImnotadoctorIcantsaytheywillIcantsaytheywontGrundysaid.Butwetrytokeepourworkerssafesowewanttomakesuretheyreawareoftheprocessthatsinvolvedinmakingaclaimatsomepointintime.Ifyouwereexposedtodayandyoutestovertheemployerledtheclaimandif10or20yearsfromnowyoudevelopsometypeofacancerthenyoucouldletheclaimsayingyoubelievethiscan-cermaybeasaresultofex-posure.Wegobackandndyourclaim...andgofromthere.ThoughhecouldnotsayiftheWSCChadaddressedclaimsofarsenicpoisoninginthepasthesaidthecom-missionhasdealtwithcasesofasbestosexposurewhichimpactspeoplesimilarlyoverthelongterm.ThatswhywewanttogettheseregisterednowGrundysaid.TheWSCCisnowwork-ingwithAANDConxingtheproblem.TheremediationprogramisonpauseoverthewinterbutGrundysaidhewantstoseetheproblemsxedbeforepeoplegobacktowork.Inanytypeofworksitua-tionwhetheritsfallingoffaroofslippingonapoorwork-siteorexposuretochemicalsweworkwiththeemployer.TheMineSafetyActisveryclearonwhattheresponsibili-tiesoftheemployerareandweensurethattheemployercomplieswithwhattheactsaysgivethemsomeadviceandhelpthemalongandwegobackandchecktomakesurethattheyarecomply-inghesaid.AANDCrepresentativesdidnotrespondtorequestsforcom-mentbutothermediareportsstatedworkerswhotestedposi-tiveforelevatedlevelsofarse-nicweremovedfromhigh-risktolow-riskworkareasonsite.Noneoftheaffectedwork-ershavesubmittedclaimstotheWSCC.FilePhotoTheremediationteambegancleanupattheGiantMineinMayof2013.