Work on mill suspended

News Briefs

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An Alberta Energy Company pulp mill planned for the town of Slave Lake doesn't properly address Native concerns in its proposal, says a member of Friends of Athabasca, an environmental group located in Athabasca.

Mike Gismondi said, "There is a problem and they (the company) have to go an extra mile to meet the Native concerns. The broader scope of this thing is that sustainable development in northern Alberta cannot ignore the Native people - 65 per cent of all Native live in Northern Alberta in this province.

"What will happen to the poorest people?" He questioned. "They wouldn't commit to any more public meetings and the sentiment of the crowd was 'forget it, we want more public meetings'. It is coming much too quickly and there are many, many questions which must be answered," he said.

However, Alberta Energy Company director of public affairs Dick Wilson said otherwise, "What we are going to do right now is nothing because the project has been appealed. The development permit that is issued by the improvement district was appealed by two people from Joussard, two people from Smith and one person from Slave Lake."

Wilson pointed out that all preparatory work being done on the project is suspended until an appeal can be heard at a meeting April 10 at the Northwest Inn at Slave Lake at 1 p.m.