Kevin O'Reilly

Now that we've got that clear, can the Minister of Lands indicate what is the general regime for remediation of contaminated sites that are on privately owned lands in the Northwest Territories?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I was saying, Saskatchewan has had an Institutional Control Program since 2005, where properly remediated sites are accepted back by the government with payments into two funds to cover monitoring and maintenance, and then unforeseen events. More than two and half years after devolution, we still do not have a proper closure and reclamation regime in place to prevent public liabilities for future generations. I will have questions for the Minister of Lands later today. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I will be supporting this motion as well. Earlier in this session we reviewed a capital budget for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment that included some funds for improving schools to make sure we can deliver on JK starting in September of next year.

I will also be looking for the same sort of commitment in our O and M budget coming forward, in 2017-2018. We have to make sure that our school boards and district education authorities have the resources to deliver on JK. I don't think it's sufficient to say that they can deliver this with their existing...

Well, it's interesting that we can locate a road based on economic benefits but we can't perhaps change the routing in terms of environmental effects, but we have to wait for environmental assessment, so I'm wondering can the Minister then commit to table a map of this route in the House, and on that map could he also show key caribou habitat?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I heard the Minister of Transportation give a statement earlier today about new transportation corridors, and in there he mentions that a route has been identified for the Slave Geological Province. Can the Minister tell this House, is there actually a business case that's been prepared for this road route? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Well, I can assure the Minister that this site does not have a water license. There's no land use permit for this site. It's privately owned lands. I'd like to know who is actually responsible for cleaning it up and what our general regime is. But two and a half years after devolution, I'm not aware of any specific changes to policy, regulations, or laws to ensure that we have a proper system in place for preventing and managing contaminated sites. When can we expect to have a proper system in place?

Merci, Monsieur le President. Earlier today I spoke of the apparent failure of the Department of Lands to respond to questions around contaminated lands adjacent to the Con Mine, namely lot 33C, group 964, plan 553, otherwise known as the Imperial Oil Tank Farm. Can the Minister of Lands tell this House who is responsible for remediation of that property, and when will it happen? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Merci, Monsieur le President. The Con headframe has been in the news lately as part of the closure and reclamation plan of that site. I've expressed concerns about the closure plan for the Con Mine for many years as a private citizen living nearby. This was a productive gold mine that made significant contributions to Yellowknife since 1938, but I’m seriously worried about the environmental legacy it will leave behind. Water treatment alone will likely be required for hundreds of years, as will inspections and maintenance of the tailings pond covers and other structures, and a hazardous waste...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I really don't want to speak at any length about the report. It is an interim report as noted early on in the presentation and on the cover of the report. We do intend to do some further work in terms of engaging the public. But most importantly, I want to thank the members of the committee, Mr. Sebert, Ms. Green, Mr. Thompson, and Mr. Beaulieu for their hard work in putting this together. We look forward to the support of all Members moving forward. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Members of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures wish to engage the general public in a dialogue on the development and refinement of laws, Members’ conduct guidelines, and enforcement mechanisms in support of high ethical standards befitting the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.

Following this report, the committee will issue a discussion paper posing a series of questions on key issues to stimulate public consideration and feedback. The committee plans to conduct public hearings outside the capital in November and December, 2016. The meetings will be well...