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8TuesdayApril292014SpringishereWiththemeltingsnowandwarmerweatherbearsarestartingtocomeoutofhibernation.TheDepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesadvisesthepublictotreatbearswithrespectandtakeprecautionswhentravellingorcampinginbearcountry.Formoreinformationonbearsafetywww.enr.gov.nt.caSouthSlaveRegionalOfceFortSmithNTPhone867872-6400EmergencyLine867872-0400SAFETYINBEARCOUNTRYAlbertaregulatorallowscompanytoresumeoilsandsproductionnearsiteofongoingleaksByMEAGANWOHLBERGAlbertasenergyregulatorisallowingCanadianNatu-ralResourcesLtd.CNRLtoresumeoilsandsextractionatsomeofitsoperationsnearColdLakewheremillionsoflitresofbitumenhavebeenoozingtothesurfaceuncon-trollablyfornearlyayear.TheAlbertaEnergyRegu-latorAERapprovedCNRLsapplicationtomodifysteam-ingatitsPrimroseandWolfLakesitesthoughthesuspen-sionimposedin2013remainsinplaceatthePrimroseEastandPrimroseSouthlocations.InJulytheAERcom-pletelyrestrictedsteamingoperationsinthefourareasthathavebitumenreleasingtothesurface.Thosere-strictionsremaininplaceAERpresidentandCEOJimEllissaidinapressrelease.WealsodirectedCNRLtomodifysteamingoperationswithintherestofitsPrim-rosesitewhichincludedre-ducedvolumesandincreasedmonitoring.Thisapplicationisadirectresponsetothatrequest.Theapprovalincludesre-quirementsthatCNRLcon-ductnosteamingwithin1kmofthesitewherebitumencontinuestoowtothesur-faceandthatthecompanyadoptmodifiedsteamingoperationswhichincludeslowerinjectionvolumes.Priortousingsteaminjec-tionthecompanyisaskedtoreviewallexistingwellboresinthevicinityandprovideariskassessmentandmiti-gationplantoaddressanypotentialwellborefailures.CNRLisalsorequiredtoensuremonitoringprotocolsareinplacetotriggeranen-hancedresponsetopoten-tialissues.TheAERcontinuestoin-vestigatethefourbitumenleaksatPrimroseandWolfLakewherebitumenwasrstdiscoveredseepingtothesurfaceinMay2013.AseparaterequestfromCNRLtoresumedrillingatthosesiteswasdeniedbytheAERinMarch.CNRLwasissuedacleanupandremediationorderbytheAlbertagovern-mentlastSeptemberfourmonthsafterthecompanyreportedbitumensurfacinginfourseparateareasonitsPrimroseandWolfLakesites.Whileacausehasyettobedeterminedthecompanymaintainstheleaksaretheresultofwellborefailuresthoughsomeindependentscientistsandenvironmentalgroupshavesuggestedtheleaksmaybeduetodam-agetothecaprockcausedbysteaminjectedundergroundatoverlyhighpressuresforlongperiodsoftime.ThoughEllissaidCNRLsapplicationmetallthetechni-calrequirementsforapprovalGreenpeaceoilsandscam-paignerMikeHudemasaidallowingthecompanytocon-tinueitsinsituoilsandsminingwhilebitumenisstillleakingshowstheAERhasnoteeth.ItsunbelievablethattheywouldallowCNRLtostartinjectinghigh-pressuresteamwithin1.5kmofwherebitu-menisstillleakingintoalakeandhasbeenforthelast10monthshetoldTheJournal.TheAERneedstoreverseitsdecisionandrejectallnewsteamingapplicationsuntilitsinvestigationiscompletethespillsarestoppedandsolu-tionstopreventthemarefullyidentied.AllowingCNRLtore-steambeforethenjustshowsCNRLsprotmarginismoreimportanttotheAl-bertagovernmentthanthehealthofitsenvironmentoritscommunities.CNRLworkstocontainbitumenleakingintoalakeatitsPrimroseoperationsnearColdLake.TheleakswhichbeganlastMayareongoing.PhotocourtesyofCNRLIndustryOilsandsFirstNationsquestionTeckoilsandsreviewprocessByMEAGANWOHLBERGFirstNationsdownstreamfromTeckResourcespro-posedFrontieroilsandsmineareexpressingalackoffaithintheeffectivenessofthejointprovincialandfederalreviewprocessaspubliccommentonthedraftagree-mentbetweenthecompanyandtheregulatorcametoacloseonApr.17.BoththeAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNandFortMcKayFirstNationsubmittedex-pressionsofconcerntothejointreviewpanellatelastmonthcallingintoquestionthescopeofthereviewandtheweightofthepanelsfol-lowingrecommendations.WhilethescopeofthepanelsmandateissufcienttocapturesomeofthekeyimpactsoftheFrontiermineonAboriginalcommunitieswebelievetherealissueishowAlbertaandCanadaad-dressestherecommendationsandndingsofthepanelstatesaletterfromDanielStucklessenvironmentandregulatorymanagerforFortMcKay.Thejointreviewprocesscanprovidevaluableinfor-mationandrecommendationstogovernment.HoweverinourexperienceneitherAl-bertanorCanadafollowsupontherecommendationsmadebyJointReviewPanels.ThismeansitisquestionablewhetherthereisanyvaluetoFirstNationsparticipatinginJointReviewPanelassess-mentsStucklesssaid.ThoseconcernscouldberemediedStucklesssaidbyrequiringtheprovincialandfederalgovernmentstosubmitmitigationandac-commodationmeasuresfortheFrontiermineprojectaspartofthereviewprocess.RepresentativesfromACFNandtheMikisewCreeFirstNationMCFNhavelednumerousconcernsaboutthereviewprocessoverthepasttwoyearscitingdis-organizationandinadequateinformationonthepartofTeckashinderingtheirabil-itytoeffectivelyparticipateinthereview.AccordingtoACFNde-laysinresponsesfromthecompanyleftthetwoFirstNationsverylittletimetorespondwithfollowupques-tionsorcomments.SeveralsubmissionsfromACFNtothejointreviewpanelexpressfurtherfrus-trationthatTecksapplicationlackssufcientinformationonimpactstotheenviron-mentandAboriginalrightsfromtraditionallandusetogroundwaterwildlifewet-landsandairqualityamongothers.Inadditiontothegapsre-latingtothebiophysicalenvi-ronmentandsocio-economicconditionsthereremainveryconcerninggapsrelatingtoongoingadverseimpactstotraditionallanduseandcul-tureandhowtheprojectmayaddtothoseadverseimpactsstatesajointletteronMar.27fromLisaKingandMelodyLepineACFNandMCFNsdirectorsofindustryrelationsrespectively.Bothreiteratedtheirre-questsforfullandtimelyresponsesbyTecktotheirin-formationrequestspriortothestartofthehearingprocess.TheFrontierprojectwouldmineapproximately240000barrelsofbitumenperdayfromasiteapproximately110kmnorthofFortMcMurraylocatedonthewestsideoftheAthabascaRiverandwouldincludetwoopenpitsanoreplantabitumenupgradertailingsfacilitiesandmore.TheprojectwouldstretchnorthoftheFirebagRiverazonedeclaredbyACFNtobeofflimitstofurtheroilsandsdevelopment.PoliticsFirstNations