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8TuesdayMarch11201414031DG1DeadlineforfeedbackisApril112014.TheGovernmentofAlbertainvitesyourinputontheEmploymentStandardsCodethebasicrulesforemployersandemployees.WearelookingatthingslikeEmploymentofyouthHoursofworkGeneralholidaysandvacationpaySpecialleavesAndmorePleasetelluswhatyouthinkUseouronlineDiscussionGuideandSurveyatwork.alberta.caesreviewEmailyourcommentstojstl.reviewgov.ab.caOrcall1-877-427-3731toorderapapercopyoftheDiscussionGuideandSurveyLETSTALKABOUTYOURWORK.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGFourmonthsfollowingtheworstcoalslurryspilldisasterinAlbertashistoryscientistsattheUniversityofAlbertaareprojectingcleanupandrestorationeffortsarelikelytotakeyearsifnotadecadetorepairdamagetotheAtha-bascaRiveranditstwoim-pactedtributaries.Dr.GregGossanaquatictoxicologistwiththeuni-versitysbiologicalsciencesdepartmentisoneoffoursci-entistsreviewingSherrittIn-ternationalsremediationandmonitoringplansfortheObedMountaintailingspondspillwhichdumped670000cubicmetresofcoalsedimentsandcontaminantsintotheAtha-bascalastfall.Hesaidthelongcoldwinterhasensuredsedimentdepositshaveremainedfrozengivingthecompanytimetoprepareforspringthawwhentheplanwillbetopreventasmuchleftoversedimentaspossiblefromenteringtheriversystem.Reallywhatneedstohap-penisweneedtoletthesnowmeltcaptureallthestuffpre-ventasmuchaswecanfromgoingintotheriveratthispointandthentakealookatthesiteunderthelightofthespringandsayreallywherewereatGosstoldTheJournal.WhiletherehasalreadybeenconcernaboutthedelayingettingaremediationplaninplaceGosssaidthepub-licmustbeawarethatthereisnoquickxtoanincidentofsuchmagnitude.Thisisalong-termprocess.Thisisgoingtotakeyearsperhapsevenadecadetore-solvebecausetherearesomelong-termimpactspotentiallywithshhabitatintheregionwhichisIthinkthemainscarthatsgoingtobeleftonthelandscapeGosssaid.Youhadawallofwaterrushdownandessentiallyknockdowntreesina50-metrewideswathfor5km.Thatsnotasmallimpactandthatsgoingtotakesometimetoremediate...Thetermsaysremediationplanbutinreal-ityitisarestorationplan.NorisktodrinkingwaterMonitoringeffortsaregoingtofocusontheheavymetalandhydrocarboncon-taminantswhichincludedmercuryarsenicandcancer-causingPAHsattachedtothesedimentstodeterminewheretheyarenowandwheretheyaretraveling.Thoughthereareplansintheworksforlong-termmoni-toringGosssaidintheshort-termthereremainsnoconcernwithrespecttoltereddrink-ingwaterfromtheAthabasca.Hesaidscientistsarestilltryingtoworkoutthepoten-tialimpactsontheAthabascaDeltanearFortChipewyanbutestimatedtheriskswouldberelativelylowfromthisspill.Thetotalamountofsedi-mentthatspresentandcar-riedthestuffcomingoutofthelowbedisgoingtobeatinyfractionofthetotalamountofsedimentandmetalsandev-erythingelseintheriverGosssaid.ButthecoalnesaregoingtobedifferentinfactthecoalnesareprobablyoatingasopposedtosettlingoutandareprobablyoutonthelakeAthabascaandthesurfacewaterandoatingout.Plansforlong-termmetalsmonitoringwilldependonwhetherornotcontaminantlevelsaredetectableinsig-nicantamountsinthearea.Ifthelevelssuggestthattheresalmostnothingornon-detectablelevelsemanatingoutoftheObedmineinthatregiontheyvecaughtmostofthestuffintheupperregionsthenprob-ablynotbutagainthatsuptoAlbertaEnvironmentandthecoalmineGosssaid.PlansstillbeingsubmittedGossandtheotherscientistswerecontractedbytheAlbertagovernmenttoprovideinde-pendentanalysisonfourplansrequiredundertheEnviron-mentalProtectionOrdergiventoSherrittfollowingthespillwhichincludeplansforimme-diatesamplingandmonitoringimpactassessmentlong-termsamplingandmonitoringandwildlifemitigation.Sofaronlytheimmedi-ateandshort-termmonitor-ingplanisavailableonlineonthegovernmentswebsitethoughanAlbertaEnviron-mentspokespersontoldTheJournalalltheplanshadbeensubmittedexceptforSher-rittsnallong-termremedia-tionplandueMay162014.GosssaidSherritthasessen-tiallyacceptedallofthescien-tistsrecommendationsfortheshort-termwhichispositive.SedimentremovalpriorityforspringthawSherrittsplansincludeavarietyofmeasuresintendedtopreventfurtherdepositionofthecoalsedimentsintotheriverwhilealsocleaninguptheApetowunandPlanteCreekswhichwerehitrstbythemassivespill.Measuresincludeinstallingsedimenttrapstocatchanddi-vertsedimentstopoolswheretheycanberemovedbyvac-trucks.Pocketsofsedimentswillberemovedbyhandandthecontaminatedtreesandrocksdownedbythegushofcoalslurrywillbeusedtopreventfurthererosionanddepositionduringthecleanupalongwithfencesbalesbagsjutemeshnetsandsoilstabi-lizersocculants.Fornowsolidsremovalisonlyplannedfortheimmedi-atecreeksandthesitewherePlanteCreekmeetstheriverandnotfortheAthabascaitself.Fishhabitatwillbefurtherassessedfollowingspringmeltandonaseasonalbasiswithalong-termshmonitoringprogramtobedevelopedwithregulatorsfollowingfurthersamplingandhabitatmapping.CoalspillcleanupcouldtakedecadescientistUniversityofAlbertateamtoreviewremediationplanEnvironmentCoalSpillPhotocourtesyofSherrittInternationalEnvironmentalmonitorscontractedbySherrittInternationaldowatersamplingontheAthabascaRivernearthesiteoflastfallsmassivecoalslurryspill.