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4TuesdayOctober282014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditor........................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics...................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caProductionGraphics..................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALLETTERSTOTHEEDITOREditorUnderNAFTAsChapter11in1994andincreasinglyinothertradeagreementsforeignrmshavebeengivenaccesstoaninvestor-statedisputesettlementsISDSwheneverfuturefederalprovincialormu-nicipalgovernmentspasslegislationwhichintheiropinioninhibitstheiropportunitiestomakeaprot.MoreovertheHarperGovernmentsprom-iseofaccountabilityandtransparencydoesnotexistintheformulationoftheagreementsnorinthesettlementmechanism.ThetwomainISDStribunalsrunbytheWorldBankandtheUNoperatebehindcloseddoorswithprivateattorneyswhorotatebetweenbeingjudgesandadvocatesandhavenoap-pealsmechanisms.Canadiansaregenerallyunawareofapast130-millionsettlementwitharmagainstCanadaisenablingcorporationstosuegovernmentsforlostprotsthegovernmentofNewfoundlandandLab-radoroftherecentlysignedCanada-ChinaTradeAgreementorofacurrentcaseinpro-cessfor250millionasaresultofQuebecsmoratoriumonfracking.FurtherabrogationofsovereigntyisbeingprovidedthroughtreatieswithboththeEu-ropeanUnionCETACanadaEuropeanUnionComprehensiveEconomicandTradeAgreementandwithcountriesborderingthePacicOceanthroughtheTPPTrans-PacicPartnership.FortunatelyforthoseconcernedaboutthegrantingofsuchpowerstocorporationsCETAisbeingheldoffbyGermanybeingun-preparedtoacceptsuchcorporatecontrol.YourstrulyJoeHueglinNiagaraFallsOntarioQuestioningthewisdomofdammingariverThefederalgovernmentasexpectedhasendorsedthemassiveSiteChydroprojectonthePeaceRiver.Thereremainsonlypermis-sionfromtheBritishColumbiacabinetfortheprojecttogetthegreenlightalthoughBCHydrohasalreadyservednoticethatcon-structionwillstartwithin90days.ASiteCDamhasbeenanambitionofBCHydrosincethe1970sand314millionhasbeenspentonstudies.Withsomuchinvestedevenndingsthattheprojectsneedsandbenetsaresuspectandnega-tiveimpactsconsiderablewerenotgoingtostandintheirway.Fortuneswillbemademostlybymul-tinationalcorporationsoverthesevenoreightyearsofconstructionforsuchthingsasconcretetherentalofheavyequipmentandthemanufacturingofcomponentsliketurbines.Dealsweremadelongago.Thelob-byingpressureinthebackroomsmusthavebeenintense.BoththeBCandfederalgovernmentssup-portanykindofdevelopmentregardlessofconsequences.Publicconsultationwasanec-essarynuisancecarriedoutforshow.Theinputandrevelationsfromthosehearingswereirrelevant.TheoneidentiableprototheprojectisthatBCHydropredictsadditionalelectricitywillbeneededinthecomingyearswithnotimeframeortherewillberollingblack-outs.Theysaythe1050-metrelongand60-metrehighSiteCdamthatwillgenerate1100megawattsisthecheapestandbestsolution.IncontrasttheconsareplentifulIna450-pagereportbytheJointRe-viewPanelthatexaminedtheprojectfortwoandahalfyearsthesummarystatesThePeaceRiverRegionhasbeenandiscurrentlyundergoingenormousstressfromresourcedevelopment.InthiscontextthePanelhasdeterminedthattheProjectcom-binedwithpastpresentandreasonablyforeseeablefutureprojectswouldresultinsignificantcumulativeeffectsonfishveg-etationandecologicalcommunitieswild-lifecurrentuseoflandsandresourcesfortraditionalpurposesandheritage.Thereportacknowledgedalonglistofseriousadverseimpacts.Thepredictedcostiscloseto8billionbutaccordingtotheWorldCommissiononDamsprojectsofthismagnituderoutinelycostupto50percentmorethanforecastTheCleanEnergyAssociationofB.C.ar-guesanalternativeelectricityderivedfromarosterofsmallerprojectsincludingupgradesoftwoexistingmajorBCHydrofacilitiesplusnaturalgas-redelectricplantsalongwithwindsolarandbiomass-analterna-tiveportfolioofprojectsthatcouldmeettheprovincesrisingelectricitydemandsasmuchasabilliondollarsmorecheaplythanthecostofaSiteCDam.ThenewdamwouldbethethirdhydroprojectontheupperPeaceRiverlocateddownstreamfromtheexistingW.A.C.Ben-nettandPeaceCanyondams.Itwouldhavean83-kmlongreservoirandwouldflood3000hectaresofFirstNationstraditionalterritoryintheregion.WestMoberlyFirstNationsChiefRolandWillsoninformedthePanelaboutconcernsofimpactfromde-velopmentprojectsalreadyleachingpollut-antsintotherivers.Hereferencedmercurymethylmercuryseleniumandothercon-taminantsfromresourcedevelopments.HesaidthecumulativeimpactsonfishwaterflowswaterlevelsandoverallwatershedprotectionareamajorconcernforFirstNationsThisisawildlifecorridorandallofthisdevelopmenthashadamassiveim-pactWillsonsaidinaJournalinterview.Wheretheywanttobuildthisdamistheplacethatanimalscanmovenorth-southunmolested.ThePeaceRiverValleyecosystemssup-portadiverserangeofwildlifeincludingthreatenedpopulationsofbulltroutgrizzlybearsandwolverinesalongwithcountlessotherplantsandanimals.SiteCwouldflood78FirstNationsheritagesitesincludingburialgroundsandplacesofculturalandspiritualsignificance.Around13000acresofagriculturallandwillbelostwith8000ofthatprimeforfoodgrowing.WithfertilesoilsmoderateclimateandaccessibleterrainthegentlevalleyslopesandbottomlandsalongthePeaceRiverhavesupportedfarmingfam-iliesformorethanacentury.Theygrowforagecerealandoilseedcropsraisecat-tleandgrowmarketgardens.Over12000acresofborealforestwillbecleared-primewildlifebirthinghabitataswellasmigra-torybirdhabitat.Citingthreemajorlandslidesintheregionoverthepastftyyearsthereisalsotheques-tionofwhetherSiteCshouldbebuiltaroundunstablebanks.Headingnorth-eastdownstreamimpactsarealsoaconcern.FlowregulationofthePeaceRiverbytheexistingtwodamshasalteredwhatisseasonallytypicalaffectingoodingwaterchemistryandsedimentloadscreat-ingadrierlessproductiveenvironmentinthePeace-AthabascaandSlaveRiverDeltas.ASiteCDamwouldmagnifythoseeffectsacaseputforwardbyintervenorsfromAl-bertaandtheNWT.Withsomanyguaranteedadverseimpactssuchmassiveindustrialprojectsshouldbealastresort.Theexistenceofviableenergyalternativesthatchallengetheneedforyetanotherindustrialprojectinanalreadyin-undatedregionoftheprovinceprovesthereislittlelogictobuildingthisdambeyondlin-ingafewpockets.EditorHaveyouheardofupyradifuroneProbablynotItsawordthatmaysoonbeinthenewsalongsidebee-killingneonicotinoidsAKAneonics.Flupyradifuronehasalotincommonwithneonics.ThisnewpesticideisanervepoisonandHealthCanadastatesitmayposearisktobeesbirdsandsmallmammals.WhileditheringoverneonicsmorethanayearafterEuropebannedthemthefederalgovernmentisnowproposingtogiveupyra-difuronethegreenlight.Enoughisenough.LetsbanneonicsandputthebrakesonupyradifuronebeforeTellourgovernmenttosidewithsciencegiantmultinationalchemicalcompaniesuseoureldswaterwaysandbeesasatestinggroundforpotentiallyharmfulpesticides.Canadiansaredonewiththefederalgov-ernmentskillbeesrstaskquestionslaterapproachtoregulatingpesticides.PleasejoinusinaskingCanadasPestManagementRegulatoryAgencyPMRAtogetseriousaboutaddressingthecon-cernswithneonicsandrelatedpesticideslikeupyradifurone.JoinusintellingthePMRAnottokillthebeesLisaGueResearcherandAnalystDavidSuzukiFoundationEducationstudentsatAuroraCollegesThebachacampusenjoysomecoffeewhiletheirmoosemeatdriesduringtheirannualculturecampatHayCampoutsideofFortSmithonOct.10.Thesuccessfulmoosehuntsawmeattakenbacktothecollegeandsharedamongthestudents.PhotocourtesyofAuroraCollege