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NodamclueObedtailingspondnotcheckedfordamsafetysaysAuditorGeneralTuesdayMarch1720157ENVIRONMENTDAMSAFETYByMEAGANWOHLBERGThewallholdingbackthecoaltailingsthatwoulddescendupontheAthabascaRiverinamassiveoodinlate2013hadnotbeenin-spectedbydamsafetyregulatorsinAlbertasincethe1990sareportbytheprovincesauditorgeneralexposedlastweek.AuditorGeneralMerwanSaherreleasedhislatestndingsintodamsafetyonWednesdaywhichindicatetheprovincenotonlylacksaplanforperformingitsregulatoryactivitiesbutisntevenawareofhowmanydamsexistintheprovince.ThedepartmentdoesnothaveadequatesystemstoregulatedamsafetyinAlbertaSaherwrote.Anumberofimprovementstodamsafetyregulatoryprocessesareneededwefoundthatcriticalelementsofawell-func-tioningregulatorareeithernotbeingperformedorevidenceislackingthatprocessesarebeingcarriedoutasintended.Foundationalactivitieslikeaplanandthereportingoftheresultsofregulatoryactivitiesarenotbeingcompleted.WhenitcomestocoalminetailingspondsspecicallySaherfoundthatmostwerenotbeingmonitoringappropriatelybytheprov-incesDamSafetygroup.ThemajorityofcoalminetailingpondshadntbeeninspectedbyDamSafetysincethe1980sand1990sthereportreads.AmongthosewasSherrittInternationalsdefunctObedcoalminewhereatailingspondbreachedonOct.312013releasing670000cubicmetresofcontaminatedwaterintotwotributariesandeventuallyintotheAthabascaRiver.Overthefollowingweekstheunstoppa-bleplumecontainingheavymetalsandhydro-carbonstravelednoticeablynorthofFortMc-MurrayintothePeace-AthabascaDeltabeforemakingitswayintotheNWTraisingalarmincommunitiesdrawingtheirwaterfromtheriver.OurexaminationofthemonitoringofObedMountainMineidentiedthatthemaintailingspondwasinspectedbyDamSafetyin2013butthestructurethatfailedontheminesitewasnotmonitoredbyDamSafetyeventhoughitappearstomeetthedenitionofadamtheauditorgeneralfound.Keyamongthendingswasthenotethatprivatedamowners-whoaccountfor1395oftheover1500damsintheprovince-arenotbeingproperlyheldaccountablefordamsafety.DamSafetyattendsinspectionsandreviewsinformationfromdamownershoweverthenaturefrequencyandthequalityofthisworkcannotbeveriedappropriatelyeitherbysu-pervisorsoroutsidescrutinyasdocumentaryevidenceislackingaccordingtothereport.Wefounddamsandcoalminetailingpondswheretheconsequenceratingwasoutdatedincreasingtheriskthattheappropriatelevelofmonitoringisnotalwaystakingplace.Whilethedepartmenthasaregistryfordamsthatregistryisincompleteandinac-curatetheauditfound.Atpresentthedatabaseisnotupdatedappropriatelyinformationismissingandisnotbeingusedtoitsfullpotentialthereportstates.Forexampleitiscapableofbutisnotusedtotrackinspectionsanddeciencies.DamSafetyunitspreadtoothinAGPartoftheproblemSaherfoundisthatDamSafetyfocusestoomuchonassistingthegovernmentwhenitcomestoitsown150pub-licly-owneddams.Notonlydoesthatitselfraiseissuesofconictofinterestfortheregulatorybodytheauditnotedbutconsumesmostofthegroupstimeandenergy.Sahersaidimprovementswillcomewithareliableregistryaplanforcarryingouttheregulatoryworkandinformativepublicre-portingondamsafety-allofwhichrequireappropriatedocumentationbekept.Finallythedepartmentneedstoobtainsuf-cientinformationtoassesstherisksandcon-sequencesofdamfailureasthisdeterminestheextentofmonitoringconductedtheauditconcluded.MinisterdefendsinspectionrecordDespitethendingsEnvironmentandSus-tainableResourceDevelopmentESRDMin-isterKyleFawcettsaidthegovernmenttakespublicsafetywhenitcomestodamsseriously.Albertanscanfeelcondentthatdamsintheirprovincearebuiltmaintainedandoperatedinasafemannerandarealignedwithnationalandinternationalstandardsandpracticeshesaid.DamsidentiedasveryhighandextremeconsequenceareinspectedannuallybydamownersqualiedengineeringconsultantsandESRDstaff.IfcriticaldecienciesarefoundESRDperformsanadditionalauditinspec-tion.Damownershavecomprehensiveon-goingmonitoringprogramsinplaceaboveandbeyondtheregulatoryrequirementsandCanadianDamAssociationguidelines.Stillheadmittedthereisroomforimprov-ingtransparencythroughmoreeffectivere-cordkeepingandreporting.TheAuditorGeneralhasidentiedopportu-nitiestostrengthenourprocessesandwehavealreadymadeconsiderableprogressinaddress-ingtheserecommendationsFawcettsaid.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGYellowkniferesidentCharlotteOvervoldgrewupplayingwithherfamilyatWhite-beachPointontheNorthArmofGreatSlaveLakewhereheruncletaughtheranimpor-tantlessonattheageofsix.HegaveusallacupofwaterandlookedoutandsaidSeehowgoodthattastesYoucandrinkrightfromthelakeOvervoldre-called.Hesaidinthefuturethereweregoingtobegreedypeoplecominguptopoisonthewaterandwhenwegrowupitsgoingtobeourjobtoprotectit.Sureenoughitshappeningrightnowonthatverybeach.HuskyOilrecentlyappliedtodrillforsilicaatWhitebeachPointabout50kmnorthofYellowknifewiththeintenttousethefinequartz-richsandinitsfrackingoperationsacrossthecontinentincludingpossiblyintheSahturegionoftheNorth-westTerritorieswherethecompanyhasexpressedinterestinexploratoryhydrau-licfracturing.FrightenedattheideaoftheareabeingdamagedbydrillingOvervoldandherpartnerCaseyKoyczandecidedtoprotestinthewaytheyknowbestthroughtheirart.AssemblinganarmyofmusiciansandartiststheduohostedaconcertSaturdaynightattheTopKnightinYellowknifetobringawarenesstotheissuesaroundfrack-ingandsaynototheproposedWhitebeachPointproject.Asindigenouspeoplewehavethere-sponsibilitytotellourstoriesandques-tionanythingthatmightharmthelandwecomefromOvervoldsaid.WehavetoownuptoourskillsandusethemandasanartistImabletocontributethroughmypainting.Shesaidartisawayforpeopletocon-tributetotheconversationeveniftheyareafraidtospeakoutagainstanindustrythatistiedcloselywithmanyNorthernerseco-nomiclivelihoods.Iwanttocelebratethecreativityofpeoplethatwehavepowerandavoiceshesaid.ApartfromlivemusicanddisplaysbyartistsfromaroundtheterritoryFortheLandNorthernArtistsAgainstFrackingalsofeaturedspeakersfromEcologyNorthandCanadianPhysiciansfortheEnviron-mentbothmembersoftherecentlycreatedgroupFrackingActionNorth.Theeventwasalsousedtogathersigna-turesforapetitioncallingforafullenviron-mentalassessmenttobeconductedbeforeanyfurtherfrackingisgivenregulatoryap-provalintheNWT.Whileverticalfrackinghasbeenoccur-ringintheterritoryforcloseto50yearsthemorecontroversialhorizontaldrillingmethodhasonlybeendonebyonecom-panyConocoPhillipsnearNormanWellslastwinter.Theprocessemploysamixtureofbruteforceviapressurizedwaterandtoxicchem-icalstobreakopenundergroundshalede-positsinordertoreleaseoilorgastothesurface.Finesilicaisusedtopropopentheundergroundfractures.Recentstudiesreportthatnotenoughisknownabouttherisksfrackingposestohumanhealthandtheenvironmentandthatmoreresearchshouldbedoneontheindus-try.Manyjurisdictionshavebannedfrackingaltogethercitingconcernsaboutgroundwa-terpollutionradioactivityearthquakesandclimatechange.AsaDenewomanwithfamilialrootsintheSahtuOvervoldsaidtheprospectofmorefrackingcomingtotheregioncon-cernshermainlyduetothelackoffor-malenvironmentalassessmentandpub-lichearingsonitspotentialrisksforthelandandpeople.Wehavethelastofthebestcleanestwaterintheworldshesaid.Ourobliga-tionistodowhatwecantoprotectitforfuturegenerations.NWTartistsmusiciansfaceoffagainstfrackingINDUSTRYFRACKINGWefounddamsandcoalminetailingpondswheretheconsequenceratingwasoutdatedincreasingtheriskthattheappropriatelevelofmonitoringisnotalwaystakingplace.AuditorGeneralPhotoCaseyKoyczanNorthernartistsgathertoshowtheirdiscontentwithproposedhydraulicfrackingoperationsintheNWTspecicallytheWhitebeachPointprojectatYellowknifesTopKnightpubonMar.14.