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6TuesdayMarch32015ENVIRONMENTMINEREMEDIATIONwww.auroracollege.nt.caCourseBuildingAnOnlinePresenceforSmallBusinessesDatesMarch14-15WhereAuroraCollegeThebachaCampusFortSmithTimes100p.m.to600p.m.SaturdayandSundayInstructorCost50ShowcasingyoursmallbusinessonlinecanpresencebyteachingthebasicsofhowtogetawebsiteonlineJessicaCoxAuroraCollegePhone867872-7507ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnotherofYellowknifesmostnotoriousandrecognizablefeaturescouldbecomingdownthissummerastheremediationteamgearsuptodismantletheunstableanddangerousC-shaftheadframeatGiantMine.TheC-shaftisgoingtobeoneprioritythisyearremediationteamdirectorCraigWellstoldYellowknifecitycouncillorsonMondayduringanafternoonMunicipalServicesCom-mitteemeeting.AnengineeringreportlastyearidentiedsomemajorstructuralissueswiththeC-shaftheadframesothatsanareawherewerelook-ingatremovingthecladdingandremovingthestructurebecauseitsatriskofcollapsing.AccordingtotheprojectteamengineersareconcernedabouttheC-shaftsrottingwoodframeandtheassociateddangerposedbyfallingparts.Alloftheelectricalandwatertothesitearelocatedundertheheadframeputtingongoingcleanupwork-includingthefrozenblockmethodforstoringthe237000tonnesofdeadlyarsenictrioxideunderground-couldbeputatrisk.IfthatheadframeweretocollapsethatwouldbeaprettycatastrophicincidentforthesiteandwouldhaveahugeimpactonworkersafetyWellssaid.Substantialworkisrequiredtostabilizethestructurewhichwilllikelyrequireitbetakendownthissummerthoughnothinghasbeenconrmed.CleanupworkcontinuesOverthefallandearlywintercontrac-torDetonChoNahanniConstructionLtd.managedtostockpilearound35000cubicmetresoftailings-theequivalentof3500dumptrucks-fromtwooftheminestail-ingsponds.Inspringthosetailingswillbemixedwithcementandwatertoformapastebeforebeinginjectedintoemptyspaceswithinthemineasawaytoenforcethecollapsinginfrastructureandpreventundergroundooding.Workisalsoongoingtostabilizeoneofeightlargeopenpitsaroundthesiteleftoverasaresultfromopen-pitminingknownastheC1pitwhichposesparticularrisksofood-ingfromtheadjacentBakerCreek.InDecembertheprojectteamcompletedthedesigntobuildabuttressonthewesternedgeofthepitswalltoreduceriskofwallfail-ure.Worktobuildthatbuttress-requiringanestimated50000cubicmetresofrock-isexpectedtostartthisspringonceacon-tractisawarded.Thebulkoftheroasterdemolitionisnowcompleteandaccordingtotheremediationteamairqualitymonitoringdataconrmsthetwo-yearprojectdidnotadverselyimpactairqualityinthesurroundingcommunities.CommunitymonitoringhascontinuedthroughoutthewinteratareducedscheduleandwillrampupagaininAprilwhenmoreworkgetsunderway.TwoheadframesoneyearNewsontheC-shaftcamejusthoursbe-foreYellowknifescitycouncildirecteditsstafftoceasediscussionsaroundpurchas-ingtheRobertsonHeadframefromNew-montMiningCorp.forthepurposesofpre-servingthestructureasapieceofthecitysminingheritage.Thecityrecentlydiscoveredthattakingoverownershipoftheheadframewouldre-quireindemnifyingNewmontofallrespon-sibilitiesfortheformerConMinebuildingsomethingonlythefederalorterritorialgov-ernmentcouldlegallydo.Unknowncostsoftheprojectwerealsoadisincentiveforthecityafteritwasfoundthatenvironmentalremediationcostscouldpushthepricetagashighas500000.TheGiantandCongoldminesplayedmajorrolesintheformationofYellowknifeasacityinthe1930sand40s.WhiletheRobertsonstillremainsundertheownershipofNewmonttheremediationofGianthasbecometheburdenoftaxpayersatacostofnearly1billion.GiantMineheadframecouldcomedownthisyearINDUSTRYOILSANDSPhotoKevinOReillyByMEAGANWOHLBERGAftersevenyearsofdelaysShellCanadadecidedtopulltheplugonitsPierreRiveroil-sandsminelastweekmakingitthelatestca-sualtyofplummetingoilpricesintheregion.Thecompanywithdrewitsregulatoryappli-cationforthe200000barrelperdayprojectnorthofFortMcMurraylastMondayindi-catingitwouldbeturningitsfocustoexist-ingoilsandsoperations.ThePierreRiverMineremainsaverylong-termopportunityforusbutitsnotcurrentlyapriorityLorraineMitchelmoreShellCanadapresidentsaidinanofcialannouncement.Ourcurrentfocusisonmakingourheavyoilbusinessaseconomicallyandenvironmentallycompetitiveaspossible.Wewillcontinuetoholdtheleasesandcanreapplyinthefuturewhenthetimeisright.ShelljoinsthelistoccupiedbySuncorEnergyInc.CenovusEnergyInc.CanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.andotherswhohaveannouncedcutsorslammedthebrakesonnewoilsandsprojectsoverthelastfewweekssinceoilpricesdroppedbelowUS50abarrelbeforeChristmas.Oilpriceshaveplungedfrommorethan100abarrellastJunetojust49.81abarrelandcouldrestthereforaconsiderabletime.Shellhasexistingregulatoryapprovaltopotentiallymorethandoubleitsoilsandspro-ductionfromcurrentlevelsof255000barrelsperday.ItsrecentlyapprovedJackpinemineexpansionwouldseeproductionincreaseby100000barrelsperdayalone.PierreRiverwasrecommendedforapprovalin2013followingregulatoryhearingsbutShellindicateditwouldbeadjustingtheminesde-velopmenttimelinelastFebruary.FirstNationapplaudsstepbackTheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNcelebratedShellsannouncementaftersevenyearsofattemptingtodelaythemineprojectwhichwouldbelocatedontheFirstNationstraditionalterritorynorthofitsno-developmentboundary.ACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidgovernmentshouldconstructivelyusethepausegrantedbythemarketcrashtoreevaluateenergyandenvironmentalpolicyintheprovince.Weneedtotakeadvantageofthiseconomicdownturnandchangetoensurethenecessarystepsaretakentosafeguardthefutureforourpeopleourrightsandourenvironmenthesaid.LikeShellweneedtofocusonexistingoperationsandndeffectivewaystomitigatecurrentdevelopmentintheregionandmovetoaprosperousandnewfuture.AnintervenorinthePierreRiverreviewpro-cesssince2007ACFNhadlaunchednumer-ouschallengestothemineoverthelastsevenyears.ThoughthewithdrawaloftheapplicationliftsaconsiderableweightofftheFirstNationAdamsaidthereremainlongstandingissuesofenvironmentalprotectionandFirstNationsrightsthatstillneedaddressing.WehopethatotheroilcompanieswilllearnfromthismomentandndwaystomoveforwardcollectivelytocreateaprovinceandcountrythatrecognizestheimportancenotonlyfortheeconomybutfortheupholdingthelawandsafeguardingourenvironmentforfuturegenerationsAdamsaid.Shellscrapslong-delayedoilsandsprojectplansRemediationworkersareconsideringdemolishingtheinfamousC-shaftheadframeatGiantMinethisyearduetoconcernsaboutitpossiblycollapsingonkeyinfrastructure.