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SahtugovernmentrebukesdisregardbyImperialFederalterritorialgovernmentsbacklocalboardsjurisdictionPoliticsRegulatoryPoliticsRegulatory6TuesdayApril292014ASSESSEDPROPERTYVALUEPROPERTYTAXRATEPROPERTYTAXBILLXByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheterritorialgovernmentcelebratedanotherinauguralmomentindevolutionlastweekwiththeapprovaloftwowaterlicenceamendments.EnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersignedoffonamendmentstotwoTypeAwaterlicencesonThursdaymarkingthersttimetheterritorialgovernmenthasexerciseditsnewfoundau-thoritiesoverlandswaterandresourcesinheritedfromthefederalgovern-mentonApr.1.Miltenbergerremarkedonthethoroughandtimelymannerinwhichtheamend-mentsreceivedonApr.4and10proceededthroughtheNWTregulatoryregime.ThisdemonstratesthesuccessofNortherncontroloverNorthernresourcesandourcapacityforundertakingtheseresponsibilitieshesaidinastatementlastweek.TherstamendmentwasgrantedtotheNorthAmeri-canTungstenCorp.whoseminingandmillingopera-tionsattheCanTungMinesiteneartheYukonborderintheMackenzieMountainsGNWTmakesfirstregulatoryapprovalsrequiredpermitstoestab-lishapermanentwastewa-tertreatmentfacilityanddischargetreatedwatertotheFlatRiver.ThesecondwenttoMira-marNorthernMiningLtd.foritsdefunctConMineinYellowknifewhichallowsforchangestocoverdesignsbeingconstructedduringtheongoingclosureandreclama-tionofthesite.Previouslysuchamend-mentswouldhavetohavebeenapprovedbythefederalministerofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentCanada.Newlegislationmir-roringfederallawsgivesthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesregulatorypowers.LettersapprovingtheamendmentshavesincebeendirectedtotheMackenzieVal-leyLandandWaterBoard.PhotocourtesyofGWNTPhotoRogerOdgaardFacebookByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheSahturegionalgov-ernmenthasreceivedback-ingfromthefederalandter-ritorialgovernmentsinitsattemptstoforceImperialOiltofollowthelocallandandwaterboardsrulesforcleanupandremediation.Bothfederalandterrito-rialofcialsaddedtheirsup-porttotheSahtuSecretariatInc.sSSIrebukeofImpe-rialforattemptingtoevaderulesrequiringthecompanytoprovideasecuritydepositguaranteeingitsfinancialabilitytoeventuallycleanupthesite.ImperialwhichhasdrilledoilintheNormanWellsareaforover70yearsiscurrentlyapplyingforanal10-yearextensiontoitswaterlicensethatexpiresattheendofAugust.LatelastmonthImperialwrotetotheSahtuLandandWaterBoardSLWBex-pressingitsreticencetorec-ognizerulesestablishedbylocalauthoritiesclaimingtheNationalEnergyBoardhasjurisdictionoverImperialsNormanWellsoperationsasperanagreementsignedin1944andnottheSLWB.AcondentialagreementhasbeenenteredintobetweentheGovernmentofCanadaandImperialOilwherebyfundsarewithdrawnfromtherevenuestreamduetoHerMajestyandheldintrusttocoverHerMajestysshareoftheabandonmentliabilitystatestheletterinregardstoremediation.EarlierthismonththeSSIwroteascathingreplycallingImperialsassertionstrou-blingandinconsistentwiththespiritoftheSahtuDeneandMtiscomprehensivelandclaimagreement.TheNormanWellsop-erationsmustbemanagedandregulatedinaccordancewithcontemporarystan-dardsinatransparentandpublicprocesswroteSSIchairEthelBlondin-Andrew.TheSSIhavedeepconcernsthatImperialmaintainsthattheBoardhasnoauthoritywithrespecttokeyaspectsoftheNormanWellsoper-ationssuchasremediationandcollectionofsecurity.Sheaddedthatdisregardforlocalauthoritiesunderanestablishedlandclaim-intendedtobeinterpretedgenerouslyasdirectedbytheSupremeCourtofCanada-isoutofline.FortoolongtheNormanWellsoperationshaveoper-atedwithoutanylocalrevieworassessmentofproposedenvironmentalaffectssicoranyaccountabilitytotheSahtuandlocalresidents.Ourviewsandconcernshavebeentypicallydisregarded.ThisisunacceptableBlon-din-Andrewwrote.Bothfederalandterrito-rialministersechoedtheassertionthatSLWBrulesestablishedasaresultofthelandclaimmustbefollowed.TheSLWBwascre-atedtobreathelifeintotheintentionsbothexpressandimpliedintheSahtuAgreementandthelegisla-tion.TheSLWBisthereforeresponsibleforregulatingbothlandandwaterintheSahturegionreadsthereplyfromtheGNWT.TheGNWTrespectfullysubmitsthattheSLWBsju-risdictionisbroadenoughtoconsiderabandonmentandreclamationattheNormanWellsOperations.ThefederaldepartmentofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentre-pliedsimilarlystatingthatitsagreementwithImpe-rialdoesnottakeprece-denceoverNWTlegislationoroustthejurisdictionoftheBoardSLWBwithre-specttotheNormanWellsfacilities.Thoughtheterritorialgov-ernmentinheritedauthor-ityoverCrownlandsintheNWTonApr.1thedevolu-tionagreementleavesregula-torycontrolovertheNormanWellsProvenAreawiththeNationalEnergyBoard.ThefederalgovernmentwhichownsonethirdoftheNormanWellsprojectscollectsa5percentroyaltyfromthewells.AsperthedevolutiondealthatmoneywillthenbepaidbacktotheGNWT.EnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMinisterMichaelMilt-enbergersignsoffontherstwaterlicencespost-devolution.ImperialOilwaschastisedbythefederalterritorialandregionalgovernmentfornotobeyingtherulesofthelocalregulatoryboardearlierthismonthwithrespecttoitsnearly80year-oldNormanWellsoiloperations.