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4TuesdayJuly292014FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow11CWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow12CWeeklyNormsHigh19CLow8CWeeklyNormsHigh23CLow10CEDITORIALTheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..........................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising.................867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLikelycaprockintegrityisnotsomethingyouhaveheardmuchabout.Rockthathasfracturedlosingitsabilitytocontainunder-groundoilresultinginleakageisaseriousproblemfortheoilsandsindustry.ThestoryonCNRLCanadianNaturalResourcesLtdinthisweeksJournalchroniclesyetagainthedramaofthegiantoilcompanysattemptstocontainheavyoilleaksthroughssuresinthegroundintheColdLakeareasomethingcriticallyimportanttomanyFirstNationresidentstheretoanyonewholivesinordownstreamofNortheasternAlbertaandtotheoilandgasindustryasawhole.ItisalsoaboondogglecostingCNRLtensofmillionsofdollars.CNRLsprocessofinjectingsteamun-dergroundturningthepreciousbitumenintherocklayersbelowtouidthatcanbedrawnintopipesandpumpedfromwellshasresultedinatleastfourunstoppableleaksthroughabove-groundssures.TheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorAERhascon-rmedCNRLusedtoomuchpressureinitsprocessstressingandfracturingtherocksothattheliquiedbitumenescapestothesurfaceinfourlocationscontaminat-inggroundstreamsandlakesastickyblackoozinguncontrollablemess.Thebi-tumenleaksareanenvironmentaldisasterapublicrelationsnightmareforCNRLandablackeyeonthealreadyheavilyscruti-nizedoilindustry.TheleakswerecausedbyCNRLsoverly-zealouspursuitofoilpushingthelimitstooptimizeresults.Thewealthgeneratedisatremendousincentive.HoldingthembackfromgoingtoofarshouldhavebeentheroleoftheAER.ThisboondogglewascausedbyCNRLbuttheresponsibilityforitlieswiththeregulatorandthustheAl-bertagovernment.ThepricepaidforbrokenintegrityHowisitthatabodychargedwithensur-ingthatindustrydoeseverythingcorrectlywithoutriskorhazardtopeopleortheenvi-ronmentallowedaprocessthathasneverbeenproperlyinvestigatedDrillingforoilhascomealongwayinAl-bertasincetherstgusherinLeducin1947.Drillingholesanddrawingfromthoseancientstoresofcarbonenergyisstraightforward.Itiswhenthatunseenworldbelowismessedwithwontonlythatproblemscanarise.resultinginunforeseenresultsandpoten-tiallypermanentanddamaginglong-termeffects.Itisatimeoflearningwhengov-ernmentregulatorsmustbemostawarediligentengagedandcareful.Lettingthoseprocesseslooseontheunseenundergroundgeologicalworldbeneathuswithoutcare-fulscrutinyandregulationishardlywise.PerhapstheAERshouldbecalledtheAlbertaEnergyIndustryFacilitator.WhenthechairoftheAERisaformeroilcompanyexecutiveitslikeputtingafoxinchargeofthehenhouse.TheagencyisobviouslysetuptofostertheapproachoftheAlbertaandfederalgovernmentstoencouragetheex-tractionofoilandgasatthefastestpossiblepaceconsequencesbedamned.Integrityhastwodenitions-inaddi-tiontotheabilityofrocktocontainoilunderpressureitcanalsospeaktoattributesinpeoplesuchasfairnessscrupulousnesssinceritytruthfulnessandtrustworthiness.DoestheAERalsolackintegrityShouldtheynotwithabsolutecertaintyre-quireandensurethatthegeologyofanareapursuedforresourceextractionisknowninminutedetailsuchthattheprocessisnotcompromisedinanywayShouldtheynotrequireadvanceknowledgetoensurethatnothingbeingdonewillharmpeopleortheenvironmentOnewouldthinkthatwouldbetheirforemostobligationandundertak-ingbutitisnot.ItappearsthattheAERissubjecttoenergylobbiesandpressureandthattheirprimaryobligationistoaccommo-dateandfacilitateindustry.Thepriorityofgovernmentshouldneverbetolookafterandcatertoindustryattheexpenseofthewell-beingandrightsofciti-zens-includinglookingafterthelandandwaterthatsustainsus.WehavelostourwayonthatinCanada.PhotocourtesyofWesternCanadaLotteryCorp.Fracking-pumpingchemicalsundergroundathighpressurestofractureshaleandre-leaseoilandgastrappedwithin-hasdra-maticallyincreasedtheamountofavailableenergystoresforhumanityandisagreatnewsourceofwealthforindustry.Similarlytheinjectionofsteamundergroundtore-leasebitumencalledcyclicsteamstimu-lationCSSisanewprocesswithgreatpromise.CSShasthepotentialtoreplacethecurrentdestructiveapproachofminingandprocessingtheoilrichsand-tearingupvasttractsoflandandcreatinghugetoxictailingspondsintheprocess.Bothinnovationsinenergyextractiontech-nologyareexperimentalimpactingdiffer-entgeologicalstructuresinuniquewaysHowisitthatabodychargedwithensuringthatindustrydoeseverythingcorrectlywithoutriskorhazardtopeopleortheenvironmentallowedaprocessthathasneverbeenproperlyinvestigatedMatthewMorseofHayRivermaybetakingtothewaterinstyleafterwinning125000onhisBlackPearlsScratchnWinticket.HehasaspecicpurchaseinmindforhiswindfallIambuyingaboatwithsomeofthemoneyhesaid.ImgoingtonameitTheBlackPearl.MatthewboughthisrstlotteryticketatTheRoosteranoutletfortheHayRiverFigureSkatingClub.Afterwinning7hedecidedtobuyanotherone.Hetookthenewtickethomeandscratchedit.Thatswherehefoundhispearl.InadditiontohisnewboattheBlackPearlhealsoplanstousehiswinningstobuyacarforhisson.