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TuesdaySeptember920147POLITICSCIRCUMPOLARFortSmithHealthSocialServicesAuthorityWednesdaySeptember17at700p.m.HealthSocialServicesOneSystemStrategicDirectionPlanDiscussionHeldattheNorthernLifeMuseumCulturalCentre110KingStreetFortSmithRefreshmentswillbeprovided.IqaluithostsrstmeetingofArcticEconomicCouncilByDALICARMICHAELRepresentativesfromtheNortherncircum-polarworldgatheredinIqaluitlastweekfortherstmeetingoftheArcticEconomicCoun-cilAECanewindependentbodymeanttofostereconomicgrowthintheNorth.Theclosedmeetingswereanopportu-nityformemberorganizationsmadeupofinternationalbusinessesselectedbytheirhomecountriestodiscusshowtodeveloptheArcticinasociallyandenvironmentallyresponsiblemanner.Abouthalfofthe42memberswerepresentforthemeetingswhichoccurredSept.2-3.ArcticCouncilchairLeonaAglukkaqwhoalsoservesasCanadasministeroftheEnvironmentandtheCanadianNorthernEconomicDevelopmentAgencyopenedthemeetingswithakeynotespeech.DuringourchairmanshipoftheArcticCouncilwehaveworkedwiththeArcticstatesandpermanentparticipantstoestab-lishtheArcticEconomicCouncilshesaid.TheAECwillbringawealthofexperienceandknowledgetothetabletofacilitatebusi-nessopportunitiestradeandinvestmentinthebestinterestofNortherners.ShetooktheopportunitytoonceagainspeakoutagainstenvironmentalgroupslikeGreenpeacewithastatementsimilartooneshemadeattheInuitCircumpolarCouncilgeneralassemblyinAugustsay-ingthattheyhinderbusinessdevelopmentintheNorth.EnvironmentalgroupsoftentrytoportraythemselvesasspeakingforInuitorAboriginalpeoplewhileatthesametimecampaigningagainsttraditionalwaysoflifeshesaid.ThesegroupsdonotbasetheircampaignsonwhatisinthebestinterestofNortherners.Greenpeacereleasedapressreleaseinre-sponsewhereinArcticactivistFarrahKhanretaliatedagainstAglukkaqsstatementsbyattackingAECgoals.ThecreationoftheArcticEconomicCoun-cilhasraisedconcernsfrombothinsideandoutsidetheArcticCouncilsexclusiveinnercirclesincetheideawasintroducedatthestartofCanadaschairmanshipshesaid.IthasevolvedintoanallaccesspassforbigoiltoassertdirectinuenceoverArcticde-cisionmakersallowingsomeoftheworldsbiggestpolluterstositatthesametableasArcticpoliticalleaders.WesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonvice-chairoftheConferenceofArcticParliamen-tariansexpressedsimilarconcernsnotingthatwhentheAECwasrstestablisheditwascalledtheArcticBusinessForumandappearedtobededicatedtohelpingexist-ingArcticbusinessesratherthandevelop-ingNortherneconomies.ThereisalotmoreinterestintheArcticintheeconomicsofshippingshingresourcedevelopmenttourism-theresmanybusi-nessopportunitiesthatarecomingupBev-ingtonsaid.Ihaveconcernswithitinthatregard.TheArcticCouncilhasahugeandimportantroleindetermininghowwedealwithachangingenvironmentintheArctic.HesaidheisalsoworriedabouttheAECsimpactonpolicydevelopmentintheNorth.ThatkindofrolesuggestsonethatwouldbesteppingintodecisionmakingthatmightgobeyondsimplyrespondingtopolicybutsuggestingwherepolicyshouldgoBev-ingtonsaid.ThefactthatitsgoingtobeanindependentbodyrunbybusinesspeopleIdontthinkthatsparticularlycorrectforaneconomiccouncilbecausethepublicgovern-menthasalargeroleindevelopingeconom-ics.FocusingontheotherconcernwilltakesomeofthefocusawayfromwhattheArc-ticCouncildoesnowandwhichithasdonefromitsinceptionwhichistodealwithcir-cumpolarissues.AnjaJeffreysassistanttotheAECschairTomPaddonofNunavut-basedresourcedevelopmentcompanyBafnlandsaidthenatureoftheAECwillbedevelopedtoen-courageenvironmentalstewardshipin-digenousinvolvementandrepresentativeparticipation.OverthenextyearasexecutivemembersoftheAECcreatebusinessstrategiesJeffreyssaidworkinggroupswillbedevelopedtoac-ceptinputfromnon-memberorganizationsinanattempttobetrulyinclusive.ThisisaveryimportantmilestoneintermsofbusinesstobusinessintheArcticspaceshesaid.Wewereveryadamantatthemeetingthatthisisfor...ArcticbusinessandthosewhodobusinessintheArctic.PipelinespillscrudeoilsaltwaternearSlaveLakeENVIRONMENTPIPELINESPILLPhotocourtesyofLeonaAglukkaqsFacebookFromleftATCOsVicePresidentAboriginalBusinessLillianBrewsterNunavutPremierPeterTaptunaArcticCouncilchairLeonaAglukkaqandnewlyappointedArcticEconomicCouncilchairTomPaddonattendtherstmeetingoftheAEClastweekinIqaluit.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGHundredsofthousandsoflitresofcrudeoilandsalinatedproducedwaterspilledintoanorthernAlbertawaterbodylatelastmonthafterapipelineleakednorthofSlaveLake.AccordingtotheAlbertaEnergyReg-ulatorAER6000litresofcrudeand300000litresofsalineproducedwaterspilledfromanAnterraEnergyInc.pipe-lineapproximately63kmnorthofSlaveLakeAlta.onAug.29.WhileAERstaffcouldnotconrmthesizeofthesurfaceareaimpactedbythespillitdidconrmtheemulsionmigratedoff-leaseintotwosmallunnamedpondsofwaternearby.AERstaffarecurrentlyonsiteandaremonitoringthecompanysresponseandinvestigatingthecauseoftheincidentsaidRyanBartlettpublicaffairsadvisorfortheAER.BartlettsaidAnterrahascrewscurrentlyon-sitetakingsamplesandremovingchlo-ridefromtheaffectedwaterandhascontain-mentmeasuresinplacetominimizedown-streamimpacts.Dataonchloridelevelswillbeusedtodi-rectcleanupactivitiesBartlettsaid.Sofartherehavebeennoimpactstowild-lifeorhumanhealthreportedheadded.Calgary-basedAnterradidnotrespondtorequestsforcomment.TheAnterrabreachfollowsanotherpipelinespillnearthecommunityofBalmAlta.onAug.28.ApipelinebelongingtoLightstreamResourcesdumped20000litresofemulsionnearthetownlocatedapproximatelyanhoursoutheastofWhitecourt.AccordingtotheAERthatlinehasbeenshutinandthecompanyiscontinuingwithcleanup.Therehavebeennoreportedimpactstowaterorwildlife.PhotoTownofSlaveLakeApipelinespillnorthofSlaveLakeAlta.leakedover300000litresofoilandsalineintoanunnamedwaterbodyonAug.29wherecrewsarenowtestingforchloridelevels.