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6TuesdayFebruary252014ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheQueenofEnglandhasdeclinedactionrequestedbytheDeneNationontheNWTdevolutionbillnowbeforeParliament.DeneNationalChiefBillErasmuswrotetothemon-archearlierthismonthex-pressingconcernsaboutreg-ulatorychangesincludedinBillC-15thatwouldelimi-nateregionallandandwaterboardsestablishedbylandclaimsintheterritory.WefelttheneedtoinformHerMajestyoftheGovern-mentofCanadasendeavourtopassfederalandterritoriallegislationonBillC-15saidErasmuswhoarguesthepro-posedlegislationbreachesTreaties8and11thereforecreatinguncertaintyintheNorthandwithinCanada.InaletterresponsetoEras-muslastweekQueenEliza-bethsseniorcorrespondenceofcersaidthematterwouldbereferredtotheGovernorGeneralofCanadaDavidJohnston.ThoughthequeenissaidtohavetakencarefulnoteoftheDeneNationsviewstheletterindicatesthosecon-cernshavebeenforwardedQueenwontinterfereonNWTdevolutionbillPoliticsDevolutionEnvironmentOilsandsbacktoherrepresentativeinCanada.DespitethelackofactionErasmussaidheispleasedwiththeresponsewhichin-dicatesanacknowledgementofFirstNationsequalstatuswiththeCrown.Indiantreatiesareout-sidetheauthorityoftheprimeministerthechiefsaid.ThegovernmentofCanadaislimitedwhenexertingitspowersinrela-tiontoourtreaties.BecausetheseaccordsarebetweentheDeneandGreatBritainwhichCanadaisanswer-abletotheprimeministerofCanadadoesnothavethelastsay.FirstNationsintheNWTspokeoutagainsttheamend-mentstotheMackenzieVal-leyResourceManagementActMVRMAincludedinthedevolutionbillatre-centhearingsinYellow-knife.Thoughthemajor-ityofAboriginalgovern-mentssupportdevolutionmanyworrytheregulatoryamendmentswilltakeawayFirstNationssayonindus-trialdevelopment.AttemptsbyOppositionMPsintheHouseofCom-monstosplittheomnibusbillintwoseparatingtheMVRMAchangesfromthetransferofauthorityoverlandswaterandresourceswereunsuccessful.ErasmusplanstorequestameetingwiththeGovernorGeneralpriortoApr.1thedatedevolutioncomesintoeffectandhopesJohnstonwontsignoffontheact.DeneleadersfromacrosstheNWTaremeetinginDettahonMar.4todiscussthebill.PhotoBillBradenByMEAGANWOHLBERGNewfederalresearchcon-rmswhatresidentsdown-streamoftheoilsandshavebeensayingforyearsthattailingspondsalongtheAthabascaRiverareseep-ingintothewaterwayviagroundwater.ThestudybyEnviron-mentCanadacomparedthechemicalcompositionofthetailingswithgroundwaterundertheAthabascaRiver.Itfoundthengerprintofthechemicalsinthetailingspondsnotedtobedifferentfromchemicalsfoundinnaturallyoccurringbitumendepositsmatchedsamplesofgroundwateraroundminingoperationsandunderneaththeriver.Theresearchwasdoneaspartofthefederal-provincialjointoilsandsmonitoringprogramandwaspublishedearlierthisyearintheEnvi-ronmentalScienceandTech-nologyjournal.FederalstudyconrmsoilsandstailingsleachingintoAthabascaPreviousresearchesti-mates6.5millionlitresperdayareleakingfromasinglepondintotheriver.IndependentresearcherscarriedoutasimilarstudylastyearontheAthabascausingtraditionalknowl-edgetolocateasiteontheriverwheregroundwaterwassuspectedofflowingintotheAthabascafromthenearbySuncortail-ingspond.Testsdonematchedthechemicalcompositionin-cludingthepresenceoftoxicheavymetalsandcarcino-genichydrocarbonsofthewaterfromtheundergroundchannelwiththenearbytailings.PhotoNWFBlogsDeneNationalChiefBillErasmuscentrespeakswithDehchoGrandChiefHerbNorwegianandhislegalcounselLarryInnesatBillC-15hearingsinYellowknife.Ascarecrowmeanttodeterwaterfowlstandsguardoveranoilsandstailingpond.