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2TuesdayOctober212014ENVIRONMENTWATERSHEDSNEWSBRIEFSBehchokopublicswimmingpoolburnsThecommunityofBehchokolostoneofitsrecreationalswimmingfacilitiestoareearlierthismonth.IntheearlymorninghoursofOct.12localRCMPrespondedtoare-portofareattheEdzoaquaticcomplex.TheBehchokoFireDepartmenttendedtoandcontainedthereprevent-ingitfromspreadingtootherbuildings.Thepoolwasde-stroyed.TheNWTremarshalisconductingongoingin-vestigationsintothereafterdeemingtheresuspicious.PlanemakesemergencyhighwaylandingenroutetoYellowknifeHayRiveremergencyserviceswerecalledtoactionlastweekwhenasmallplanemadeanemergencylandingontheout-skirtsoftown.OnOct.16thepilotofasingleengineCessna172airplanesaidheexperiencedmechanicalissuesforcinghimtolandonHighway1about30kmoutsideofEnter-prise.GDivisionTrafcServicesalongwithdepartmentofTransportationassistedthepilothelpinghimtogettheplaneoperationalsoitcouldcontinueitsighttoYellowknife.YellowknifeRCMPremindvehicleownerstolockupFollowingmultiplevehicletheftsinthecapitalRCMParere-mindingownerstotakepreventativemeasurestokeeptheirpropertysafe.BetweenJuly12014andSept.30therewereninereportedvehiclethefts21theftsfromvehiclesand50occurrencesofmischieftovehicles.RCMPsaythatinsomeofthesesituationsthieveswereabletodriveawaybecausekeyswereleftinsidetheunlockedvehicle.Theyareaskingcitizenstoremembertolocktheircarsnottoleavevaluablesinsideandtoneverleavekeysinsidethevehicle.SiteCapprovedwithoutstudiesonNorthernwatershedimpactsByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheB.C.andfederalgov-ernmentsgavethegreenlighttoathirdhydrodamonthePeaceRiverlastweekthatwillseethousandsofhectaresoflandoodedinthenortheast-erncorneroftheprovinceandimpactsstretchasfarastheSlaveRiverDeltaaccordingtolandusersinAlbertaandtheNWT.BothgovernmentssaidlastTuesdaythatthebenetsofbuildingB.C.Hydros7.9-bil-lionSiteCdamoutweighthesignicantadverseimpactstopeopleandtheenvironmentbyofferingrenewableenergyforthenextcentury.SubmissionsmadeduringthehearingprocessbytheterritorialgovernmentandnorthernAboriginalgroupsarguedthatthecumulativeimpactsofathirddamonthePeacewouldhavealast-ingimpactstretchingasfardownstreamastheSlaveRiverDeltaaroundFortResolutionNWTbasedonnoticeablechangesresultingfromtheexistingWACBennettdam.NoonefromtheGNWTwasavailabletocommentlastweekbutthesubmissiontheterritorialgovernmentgavetothereviewpanelin2013saidtherehasbeena75percentincreaseinwinterowsanda20percentdecreaseinspringowsinthePeaceandSlaveRiverssincetheBen-nettdamwasconstructed.Thatowregulationhasal-teredwhatisseasonallytypi-calintermsofwaterchemistryandsedimentloadscreatingadrierlessproductiveenvi-ronmentintheSlaveRiverDeltathesubmissionsaid.AboriginalgovernmentsandParksCanadascientistsechoedsimilarconcernsthroughoutthehearingprocessstatingthatthesensitivePeace-Athan-bascaDeltaPADecosystemisalreadyfeelingtheimpactsofupstreamhydrodevelop-mentwhichhasreducedice-jamoodingtherebychang-ingthelandscapeandcontrib-utingtothedisappearanceofcertainwildlife.MtisEldersinFortReso-lutionandFortSmith...haverecountedhowtheBennettDamprojecthassignicantlyadverselyimpactedtheirtra-ditionalactivitiesandprac-ticesincludingharvestingshingandtrappingandinmanycasesendedtheirabilitytocarryoutsuchtraditionalactivitiesstatesthesubmis-sionbytheNWTMtisNation.TheyhighlightthechangesintheSlaveRiverDeltasincetheBennettDamwasconstructedthathaveledtothelossofchan-nelsandislandschangesintheriverowregimeandintheiceallresultinginadramaticre-ductioninshpopulationthebirdpopulationandwildlife.BothsubmissionsfromtheGNWTandMtisalongwiththosefromFirstNationsandMtisinFortChipewyanandWoodBuffaloNationalParkrequestedtheenvironmentalassessmentaddresscumulativeeffectsoftheentirePeaceRiverBasinstretchingasfarnorthastheSlaveRiverDeltaandconsiderthetraditionallive-lihoodsofAboriginalpeopledownstream.Thoughnotdeaftothecon-cernsoflandusersandscien-tistsinnorthernAlbertaandtheNWTthereviewpanelstatedinitsenvironmentalassessmentreportthattherewouldbenomeasurableeffectbeyond500kmofthedamandthatim-pactsfromthedamwouldnotbedistinguishablefromthosecausedbyexistinghydroandclimatechange.ThePanelnotesthatthechangestothePADthatwerereportedtothePanelarehap-peningnowwithouttheProject.InadditionthePADis1100kmdownstreamofSiteC.WhilethemajorityofowregulationonthePeaceRiverisduetotheoperationoftheBennettDamtheadditionalregulationpro-videdbytheProjectwouldbeattenuatedbeforereachingthePADthepanelsaid.Thoughthedamhasre-ceivedenvironmentalapprovalfrombothgovernmentsB.C.stillmustdecideonwhetherornottoinvestnowinthe1100-megawattprojectwhichisopposedbyFirstNationsandlocalfarmers.Thenaldecisionhasyettoproceedthroughcabinet.ImageBCHydroLawsuitwantsapprovalreversedContinuedfrompage1.Afterthefederalgovern-mentapprovedtheprojectinDecember2013theFirstNa-tionlookedtofurtherlegalac-tionwiththehelpoffundingfromNeilYoungsHonourtheTreatiesbenetconcerttourwhichraisedoverhalfamilliondollarsforACFNslegalfund.Thelawsuitwantstoseethecourtdeclarethefederalapprovalinvalidandunlaw-fulbasedonwhatissayswasinadequateconsulta-tionandaccommodationoftheFirstNationsAboriginalandtreatyrights.ShellsJackpineexpansionwouldallowtheopen-pitminetoincreasebitumenproduc-tionby100000barrelsperdaydisturbingover12000hectaresofACFNstraditionalterritoryincludinga21-kmsectionoftheMuskegRiverseenascriticalhabitatformigratorybirdsandat-riskwoodlandcaribouandbisonherds.Shellmaintainsthattheminewillgenerate17bil-lioninroyaltiesandtaxesforthegovernmentalongwith750full-timejobsoverits40-yearlifespan.AnillustrationshowsthemassivereservoirthatwillbecreatedwiththeconstructionoftheSiteCdamonthePeaceRiver.