Michael Miltenberger

Yes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has raised a very specific concern. I will commit to consult with my ENR officials first, and then we will look at what steps need to be taken up to and including the recommendation by the Member that we talk to our federal partner on this. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

We all have a common concern not only about not only surface water but groundwater baseline information and wildlife baseline information. We have funds put aside in the budget to put money on the table. We are working through the Environmental Studies Research Fund, as well, which is funded by industry. There’s going to be dollars available to work on the groundwater mapping, the surface water and the wildlife baseline information as well.

All the wells that are being drilled and have been drilled have to do well monitoring sites, water monitoring sites. That information is going to be...

We are committed to working with committee. We are going to share the work, we are going to come up with best practices, we are going to do the regulatory review from across not only the country but we’re going to look around the work to see how it’s being dealt with in other jurisdictions that haven’t had moratoriums but are actually engaged in managing this process as they look at resource development. We will come forward and we’ll map out the next steps as we do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the Member’s sage advice and I will keep that in mind as we move forward.

I’ll commit to review the matter with the appropriate officials in the departments and if there is deemed to be a policy gap, then we’ll, of course, take the steps to close that gap.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of ITI already has a trip scheduled to an active frack site where fracking is practiced. So, yes, we will do that. Thank you.

No, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I will commit to work with the Minister of ITI. I can appreciate the Member’s concern about meeting with the Aboriginal governments and going to an actual fracking site. I would think we could probably gather the information about those jurisdictions that have decided to go ahead with fracking, by looking at what is available and having those conversations. But we will do a full review of all those particular positions as it pertains to fracking. Thank you.