I'm going to keep the thread title simple because trying to provide light to it with anything more complex obscures it. The Federal Government has approved the Shell's Jackpine Mine Project last week and the approval is having some troubling notes, including a lack of a sufficient remediation plan and great uncertainties on the mitigation of the environmental impacts of the project. Having the questions remain so open and then having approval is raising serious questions, especially to the people who will be directly affected, the Athabasca Chipewyan FN.
There is a reason why there lay so many of these uncertainties. The land is marshland, and with the tributaries running through the land is inconducive to storage of grey-water. The land mined is much smaller than the area of the land that is to be affected by the project which makes remediation more difficult. Mitigating environmental harm to the surrounding land is much more difficult task on the land proposed than in other locations where the land is less saturated with water.
Furthermore, consultation with First Nations on this issue, especially with the Athabasca Chipewyan, have been a bit evasive. The Federal Government has skirted their duties to consult with them and to seek possible solutions to the problem as they arose or became evident. Failing to do so puts them in the same danger as the New Brunswick found itself with Elsipogtog FN.
Which brings us to the modus operandi of Harper and his signing off on projects without the due process warranted by the riskier projects. Harper has marketed himself as being sound on the economy, but for the most part that is all he has sold himself on. Of course, this completely ignores the social and human impacts that this is causing. It is not too dissimilar from giving the accountant the reins of a company, someone who has no experience with meeting the needs of the customer, or even the personnel in the company really.
Chief Allan Adam is now having to do the unnecessary to bring about the necessary, taking this to the courts. Unlike the folks at Rexton, there is a good chance that this case does not get dismissed by the courts and we will eventually need the Supreme Court of Canada to make a decision.
There is a reason why there lay so many of these uncertainties. The land is marshland, and with the tributaries running through the land is inconducive to storage of grey-water. The land mined is much smaller than the area of the land that is to be affected by the project which makes remediation more difficult. Mitigating environmental harm to the surrounding land is much more difficult task on the land proposed than in other locations where the land is less saturated with water.
Furthermore, consultation with First Nations on this issue, especially with the Athabasca Chipewyan, have been a bit evasive. The Federal Government has skirted their duties to consult with them and to seek possible solutions to the problem as they arose or became evident. Failing to do so puts them in the same danger as the New Brunswick found itself with Elsipogtog FN.
Which brings us to the modus operandi of Harper and his signing off on projects without the due process warranted by the riskier projects. Harper has marketed himself as being sound on the economy, but for the most part that is all he has sold himself on. Of course, this completely ignores the social and human impacts that this is causing. It is not too dissimilar from giving the accountant the reins of a company, someone who has no experience with meeting the needs of the customer, or even the personnel in the company really.
Chief Allan Adam is now having to do the unnecessary to bring about the necessary, taking this to the courts. Unlike the folks at Rexton, there is a good chance that this case does not get dismissed by the courts and we will eventually need the Supreme Court of Canada to make a decision.
