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21TuesdayFebruary112014Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.SpayedNeuteredUp-to-datewithroutineshotsHousetrainedBerthaisasmallandfriendlycreature.Shemakesforgreatcompanyinanyhousehold.Hershort-hairedcoatiswonderfulforpetting.BerthaFemaleAdultGreyandwhiteMixLookingforanewhomeVOLUNTEERSThankyoutoalltheVolunteersandSponsorswhohelpedthewith2014ArcticWinterGamesDeneGamesTerritorialTrialsSPONSORSOFFICIALSApologiesofferedtoanyonethatwasnotlisted.Thiseventwouldnothavebeenasuccesswithouttheabovelistedindividualsandbusinessesorganizations.EnvironmentMineRemediationByJACKDANYLCHUKWithworksuspendedforthewintertheleadcontractorandfederalofcialsmanagingtheGiantMineremediationproj-ectarelookingforreasonswhyasmanyas31of175workerstestedaboveallowablelimitsforarseniclastyear.JaneAmphlettoperationsmanagerforAboriginalandNorthernDevelopmentCan-adasaidtherewasnosingleincidentthatcontributedtotheworkerselevatedarseniclev-elsduringdeconstructiononCanadasmostcontaminatedindustrialsite.Whenweeklytestsrevealedelevatedlevelsofarsenicintheurineofthe31workersthecontractorconductedadetailedanalysisoftheiractivitiestodeterminethecauseandtakecorrectiveactionAmphletttoldTheJournallastweekinanemail.DeconstructionoftheGiantMineroastercomplexdecay-inghulkscladincrumblingasbestossheetswheregoldwasextractedfromoreandleftbehindaresidueofdeadlyarsenictrioxidestartedlastspringandistobecompletedlaterthisyear.The25.7-millioncontractwasawardedtoParsonsCan-adaLtd.whichsub-contractedworktoDetonChoCorp.andDetonChoNahanniasAboriginalworkersweretocomprise33percentofthelabourforce.Amphlettsaidthatinaddi-tiontoremovingaffectedwork-ersfromhigh-riskareasthecontractoralsocoachedthemonpotentialcausesofhighar-seniclevelssuchasdiethy-gieneinspectionofpersonalprotectiveequipmentandorreviewofdecontaminationtechniques.ThecontractorcontinuestoworkcloselywithandunderthedirectionoftheWork-ersSafetyandCompensa-tionCommissionWSCCtoensurethestandardoper-atingproceduresalignwithArsenicleaksthroughcracksinGiantMineSystemfailureposesnorisktofamiliesofaffectedworkersofcialsWorkingwithresearchersattheuniversitiesofWinnipegandManitobaJohnSandlosandArnKeelingprofessorsatMemorialUniversityfoundthattherstdocumentedvic-timofarsenicemissionswasaDenechildlivinginNdiloonLathamIslanddirectlydownwindfromGiantMine.ThoughConMineinstalledascrubberin1949GiantMinethesourceofmostofthearsenicdidnotinstallpollutioncontrolequipmentuntiltheendof1951afterthe2year-oldboydiedofacutearsenicpoisoningSandlosandKeelingreported.Locallivestockalsodiedfromarsenicpoisoning.Gov-ernmentandmineofcialsmetatthetimetodiscusshowtoaddresstheproblemofarsenicpollutionbutnevercontemplatedevenatempo-raryshutdownoftheminetheywroteinasummaryoftheirndings.Publichealthstudiesun-dertakeninthe1960ssug-gestedapossiblelinkbetweenarsenicexposureandelevatedcancerratesinYellowknifebutthesestudieswerenotmadepublicuntilthe1970sSandlosandKeelingreported.Aseriesofindependentandgovernmentstudiesfollowedtherevelationsaspubliccon-cernmountedoverthehealtheffectsoflong-termarsenicex-posure.FurtherreductionsinarsenicemissionsfromGiantwereachievedandthemineconstructedatailingsefu-enttreatmentsystemin1981.Whilelocalactivistsagainraisedconcernsaboutsulphurdioxideandarsenicemissionsintheearly1990sterritorialgovernmentstudiesconcludedtheemissionsdidnotposeapublichealthrisk.FortheYellowknivesDeneFirstNationinparticularmemoriesofminedevelop-mentandsubsequentarsenicpollutionoftheirtraditionallandsarepainfulSandlosandKeelingwrote.Nativecommunitieswereatfargreaterriskbecauseoftheirlocationinproximitytotheroastingfacilityandthefactthatresidentsreliedonpollutedsnowandlakewaterfortheirdrinkingwater.AtameetingofgovernmentofcialsinJune1951toassessthearsenicsituationthemin-utessuggestthatinspectorsofthedepartmentofResourcesandDevelopmenthadnoticedlargeconcentrationsofarse-nicinsnowintheYellowknifeareaparticularlyatthenorth-ernendofLathamIsland.AcoronersinquestruledthattheDeneboydiedinApril1951fromacutegas-troenteritiscausedbyarsen-icalpoisoningadministeredbyunknownmeans.Subsequentreportsclariedtheprecisecauseofdeath.I.F.Kirkbythen-superintendentofIndianAffairsreportedthattheboyhaddiedfromcontam-inateddrinkingwater.GiantYellowknifeGoldMinesLtd.providedthefamilywith750forthelossoftheirson.Thelocalmediadidnotmen-tionthedeathoftheDeneboyanddidnotrunanystoriesontheissueofarseniccontamina-tionin1951.Localofcialsdidmakesomeattempttowarnpeo-pleofthedangersfromarsenic.Dr.O.L.StantontheYel-lowknifeMedicalHealthOf-cerplacedsmalladvertise-mentsinthebackpagesofsixissuesofNewsoftheNorthin1951andsignsaroundtheareawarningpeopletobecautiouswiththeiruseofwaterduringspringrunoff.TheYellowknifeIndianAgentclaimedhehadprevi-ouslywarnedthelocalchiefofthearsenicdangerbutgov-ernmentofcialsattheJune1951meetingsuggestedthatinspiteoftheseprecautionscertainIndianslivingonthenorthendofLathamIslandusedthewaterinthevicinitywiththeresultthatanumberofthemhadtobegivenhos-pitaltreatmentandonedied.Publichealthstudiesundertakeninthe1960ssuggestedapossiblelinkbetweenarsenicexposureandelevatedcancerratesinYellowknifebutthesestudieswerenotmadepublicuntilthe1970s.JohnSandlosandArnKeelingGiantMineremediationcontractorsarelookingintowhy31of175workerstestedaboveallowablelimitsforarseniclastyear.regulationsandfurtherre-ducesriskofexposureinfu-tureworkAmphlettsaid.Despitetheappearanceofcracksinthestandardoperat-ingproceduresforthereme-diationprojectAmphlettsaidthereisnoevidencethattheaffectedworkersinadvertentlyspreadarseniccontaminationbeyondtheformerminesitetotheirhomesandfamilies.AccordingtoproceduresAmphlettsaidthecontractorrequiredworkerstogothroughacompletedecontaminationbeforeleavingthesite.Noworkclothingorequipmentwastoleavemediumorhigh-riskworkareaswithoutdecon-taminationandpersonalitemsincludingclothingarenotal-lowedincontaminatedareas.Workersreceiveexten-sivetrainingaroundthesedecontaminationpractices.Asaresultofthesemeasuresemployeevehicleandat-hometestswerenotdeterminedtoberequiredasapartofthestandardoperatingproce-dureAmphlettsaid.IfcontaminationdidspreadbeyondtheGiantMinesitetheissueshouldbeaddressedbytheterritoryspublichealthauthorityAm-phlettsaid.Dr.AndrCor-riveauchiefpublichealthofficerfortheNorthwestTerritoriesdisagreed.ThisissueisunderthejurisdictionoftheWSCCbeinganoccupationalwork-placesettingCorriveausaidinanemail.DaveGundyWSCCpresi-dentandCEOsaidthecom-missiononlydealswithworkersandnottheirfami-lies.Allareawareoftheis-sues.Tomyknowledgethecompanyhasnottestedany-oneoutsidetheworkers.MinesleavelegacyofpoisoningDisagreementsoverwhoshouldtakeactiononpol-lutionfromYellowknifesmineshavebeenpartofthefabricofcommunitylifesinceConandGiantbeganextract-inggoldfromarsenic-ladenorein1948accordingtotheauthorsofabooklookingattheimpactsofNorthernhis-toricminesonAboriginalcommunities.PhotoDonJaque