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EkatimonitoringboardchairaskedtostayuntilDecemberFormerassistantdeputyministertechnicianappointedtotwovacantspotsTuesdayApril720157INDUSTRYMININGMinistersideswithcompanyoverDiavikoversightfundingdisputeBudgetfeudrequiresGNWTinterventionforthirdtimesince2009ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAfterhavinghis17-yearcareeraschairoftheEkatidiamondminewatchdogterminatedlastmonthBillRosshasbeenaskedtokeephisseatwiththeIndependentEnvironmentalMonitor-ingAgencyIEMAuntiltheendoftheyear.Theterritorialgovernmentrecentlyrenegedontheforcedremovaloftheappointeddirectorwhohasbeenwiththeboardsinceitsinceptionin1997aftertheirhandpickedreplacement-SteveMatthewsaformerwildlifebiologistwiththeGNWT-declinedtotaketheposition.OneofthefolkswhoagreedtositontheboardwithdrewhisnamesointheinterimaswelookforasuitablereplacementMr.RosshasagreedtostayonsaidEnvironmentandNaturalRe-sourcesENRMinisterMichaelMiltenberger.IdontthinkMatthewsthoughtitwouldbesuchahighlycontentiousissueIsuppose.RosswhowillnowsitontheboarduntilDecembergavebothpersonalandprofes-sionalreasonsfordecidingtostayon.FirstIamproudofthegoodworktheagencyhasdoneoveritsalmost18yearsandexpectthegoodworktocontinue.Itisalwayssatisfyingtocontributetoeffectiveenviron-mentalmanagementandIampleasedtodoso.Secondthecurrentdirectorsandstaffoftheagencyarenepeopletoworkwith.Con-tinuingwithagoodteamisanotherpleasantfeaturethatcontributestomydesiretocon-tinuewiththeIndependentEnvironmentalMonitoringAgencyhetoldTheJournal.Whilethesearethetwomostimportantpersonalreasonsthatinuencedmydecisionitwouldalsobefairtosaythatservingforan-otherninemonthsallowsforabettertransitionfortheagencyandforworkonsuchmattersastheagencyannualreport-tobewrittenverysoon-andothercontinuingagencybusiness.RossandtheremainingboardmembersarejoinedbytwonewappointeeswhoarereplacingoustedwildlifebiologistKimPooleandgroundwaterexpertLauraJohnstonontheboardaftertheyreceivedterminationnoticesalongwithRossinMarch.ThosenewmembersincludeformerassistantdeputyministerforIndustryTourismandIn-vestmentDougDoanandEmeryPaquinafor-merGNWTemployeewithENRandmemberoftheInuvialuitregionalwaterboard.DoanmostrecentlysatontheGwichinRenewableResourcesBoardandservedasrepresentativeoftheGNWTontheDiavikdiamondminesenvironmentalmonitoringboardwhilePaquinservedasdirectoroftheEnvironmentalProtectionDivisionofENRuntilhisretirementin2008previouslyhav-ingworkedinwaterlicencemonitoringandcomplianceinthegoldminingsector.TheyreNortherntheyrequaliedintheirrespectiveareastheyknowhowtheNorthworksandhowboardsworkMiltenbergersaid.Mr.Paquinhasgotextensiveenviron-mentalexperienceinENRandiscontinuingtodoworkinthatareaandMr.DoanhasalongworkhistoryinITIandtheeconomicsideaswellasbeingveryawareofhowregulatoryprocessesworkhowgovernmentprocessesworkknowledgeofthepolitics.Addthatalltogethertheyllbeneadditionstotheboard.PooleJohnstonandRossalljointlyappointedbytheGNWTCanadaandEkatiownerDominionDiamondCorp.weretoldbytheGNWTinFeb-ruarythattheywouldberemovedfromtheirdu-tiestomakewayforNorthernersonthemonitor-ingboardeffectiveMar.13.AllthreearebasedoutofB.C.andAlbertaandservedacombinedtotalof33yearswiththeIEMA.ThemovetoplantmoreNorthernersonNorthernboardsisapoliticalpriorityfol-lowingthedevolutionofauthorityoverlandswaterandresourcestotheterritorialgovern-mentaccordingtoMiltenberger.Theremainingboardmemberswereap-pointedbyeachofthefourAboriginalgov-ernmentpartiestotheEkatienvironmentalagreement-theNorthSlaveMtisAlliancetheKitikmeotInuitAssociationtheAkaitchoTreaty8FirstNationsandtheTlichoGovern-ment-andincludeArnoldEngeJaidaOhokan-noakTimByersandTonyPearserespectively.ThechangestotheIEMAboardmemberscouldbejusttherststepinalargerover-haulofthediamondmineoversightsystemintheNWTaccordingtoMiltenbergerwhotoldTheJournalinaninterviewinFebru-arythatthegovernmentisconsideringamal-gamatingtheseparatemonitoringagenciesforeachdiamondmineintoonesuperboard.TheIEMAisactivelypreparingforthismonthstechnicalsessionsonDominionsproposaltoexpandtheEkatiminewhichwouldseethecompanydrillafourthkim-berlitepipeknownasJayneartheexist-ingminesite.PublichearingsontheJayprojectarescheduledtobeginthissummer.Ifapprovedtheprojectwouldextendtheminelifeby10to20yearspastthecurrentlyanticipatedclosuredateof2019.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThelatestinanongoingsagaoffundingdisputesbetweentheownerandindependentenvironmentaloversightboardfortheDiavikDiamondMinehasresultedinthegovern-mentsidingwiththecompanysproposedbudgetforthemonitoringagency.EnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMin-isterMichaelMiltenbergersteppedinasar-bitratortosettlethematterforDiavikDia-mondMinesInc.DDMIandtheEnviron-mentalMonitoringAdvisoryBoardEMABinFebruaryaccordingtoaletterpostedtoEMABswebsitelatelastmonth.ThedisputearoseafterthecompanywhichisrequiredtofundEMABsoperationsputforwardabudgetof467663for2015-16and477590for2016-17fortheboard.EMABsownproposedbudgetwasfor627587in2015-16and640139in2016-17.Thoughthetwopartiesaresupposedtocometoanagreed-uponbudgetontheirowntheymayconferwiththeministerinthecaseofirreconcilabledifferences.UnderthelegislationtheministercannotdraftanewbudgetforEMABbutmustchooseei-therDDMIsorEMABsproposedbudgets.MiltenbergeroptedforthebudgetputforwardbyDDMIbasedonalineitemissueinvolvingatraditionalknowledgeTKpanelpreviouslyrunbyEMABbutnowfundeddirectlybyDiavik.ThoughbothEMABandDDMIsubmit-tedproposedbudgetsbasedonanallowableconsumerpriceindexincreaseof2.1percentEMABhadnotreducedthisyearsbudgettoreecttheremovaloftheTKpanelinsteadreallocatingthatfundingtootherlineitemsintheir2015-17budget.TheenvironmentalagreementforDiavikstipulatesthatEMABmustmakeeffortstoensurethebudgethasnotexceededDDMIscontributionsforthepreviousfundingpe-riodplusanincreaseforCPI.TheMinisterfindsthatEMABdidnotmakeanefforttoensurethattheirproposedbudgetdidnotexceedDDMIs2013-15contributiontothebudgetstatestheGNWTslettertotheparties.ThereareanumberofareasinEMABsbudgetwherecost-savingscouldhavebeenrealizedresultinginabudgetoflessthan600000withoutcompromis-ingEMABsabilitytomeetitsmandate.LegacyofbudgetdisputesThelatestdisagreementisjustoneinase-riesofdisputesoverfundingbetweenEMABandthecompanysince2009whenanin-dependentarbitratorwasrstbroughtintosettlethedisagreement.Theministerresolvedasimilardisputeforthe2011-13and2013-15budgetsinbothin-stancesselectingtheDDMIbudget.InhisletterMiltenbergeracknowledgedtheproblematicrelationshipbetweenthetwopartiesandaskedthemtoworkonnd-ingsolutions.EMABandDDMIarestronglyencour-agedtoimprovetheirworkingrelationshipparticularlywhenitcomestofundingis-suestheletterstates.ThisisthethirdtimeinarowthattheMinisterhasbeenrequiredtoselectabudgettheMinis-tersinvolvementinthesebudgetdisputesshouldbealastresortfollowinggoodfaithnegotiations.Miltenbergersaidboththeboardandcompanyneedtodirectmoreeffortintoagreeingonabudgetandtodevelopwaystoresolvefundingdisagreementsbeforeinvolvingtheminister.EMABwascreatedin2000followingthesigningoftheenvironmentalagreementforDiavikbyDDMItheGNWTthefederalgov-ernmenttheTlichoGovernmentLutselKeDeneFirstNationYellowknivesDeneFirstNationNorthSlaveMtisAllianceandKi-tikmeotInuitAssociation.Itisanon-protindependentadvisoryboardmeanttoserveasapublicwatchdogfortheregulatoryprocessandimplementa-tionoftheenvironmentalagreement.Diaviklocatedapproximately300kmnorthofYellowknifeisCanadaslargestdi-amondmineandisownedprimarilybyRioTintoandmanagedbyDDMI.Theminecom-mencedproductionin2003andhasanan-nualproductionof6-7millioncarats.INDUSTRYMININGPhotoDaveBroshaPhotoEMABBillRosswillnowremainontheIEMAboardthroughoutthecomingreviewofEkatisJaymineexpansionprojectforwhichpublichearingsarescheduledthissummer.EnvironmentalMonitoringAdvisoryBoardemployeesconductwatermonitoringfortheDiavikDiamondMine.Anongoingfeudbetweentheboardandthecompanyneededministerialinterventionagainearlierthisyearforthethirdtimeinarow.