Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to again raise the issue of the waste reduction management section with the territorial government here and the issue of waste management, the issue in our small communities, and again I’m going to ask the Minister in his plans with this department is there any type of discussion plans that will be coming forward in the future in regard to the amount of vehicles that are dumped in our communities. There are a lot of vehicles in there and there are a lot of vehicles piled up in the dump. I always thought this was a good incentive to look at how they can have...

Thank you. I certainly appreciate the clarification on this. I do want to ask the question then, I’m not too sure if I’m on the right page with this, in regard to companies that are charged and convicted of any type of environmental violation. Is there a fund that they pay into that is used to deal with this type of issue and cleanup and remediation? Thank you.

When you have a company such as Imperial Oil renewing its water licence for the next 10 years and stated in their submission that they are going to be taking out close to three billion litres of water over the 10-year period and putting back 1.5 billion litres after it’s been recycled through its plant, this states specifically to the chapter in our land claim agreement where our water will not be altered, the quality of water will not be altered, so the baseline study, I guess, is asking and I appreciate the Minister citing that there is the water monitoring, field testing or it’s actually a...

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Thursday, March 6, 2014, I will move the following motion: now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the government identify at least two priority communities for new nursing and/or policing services and provide those services within the 2014-15 fiscal year; and further, that by December 31, 2014, the government completes long-term plans working with community governments and including timelines for implementation to expand police and nursing services into the communities...

Mr. Speaker, one of the interesting things that the Minister pointed out was baseline studies in the Sahtu because of the ecological sensitivity of our area. Are some of the baseline studies near completion, and I take it that that’s going to be used as guidelines for the policy that could come ahead in the next couple of months or so. Are the specific baseline studies being worked on and computed as we go through this whole new exploration on hydraulic fracking?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ENR in regards to the environmental protection in working in the area of Sahtu in regards to the economic development that has happened there. I want to ask the Minister in regards to the work that needs to get up there in regards to environmental issues.

Has the Minister commissioned studies in regards to some of the environmental concerns that are coming up with the hydraulic fracking?

I’m quite pleased that the initiative is coming to some of our communities, as the Minister indicated. I would look forward to the Minister putting some type of a briefing or paper together. Hopefully, it will come into one of our Sahtu communities, or along the Mackenzie winter road, Fort Simpson or Wrigley and come through that area here. Maybe we can look at something. Right now I’m just hearing it from you and I’m happy that Smith and Hay River had the opportunity to do and we look forward to something like for some discussion. It might even be in the next Assembly, but give me something...

Thank you, Minister. I see that in another avenue here. Okay, time is up.

Mr. Chair, I want to ask about the Environment Fund net revenue. It’s showing $150,000. Is this a new fund? Okay, 2013-14 revised estimates isn’t showing any. Can I get maybe a brief description on as to this fund and this purpose and how it’s being used, who pays into the fund? I know if a company has been charged and convicted of a violation of environmental issues that they pay into the Environment Fund. Is that correct? Thank you.

Just a quick comment here, Mr. Chair. The issue I have with this department would be the responsibility in regard to our water management and the role that the government is going to assume after April 1st. But even as we speak, Imperial Oil has applied to renew its water licence in the Norman Wells operation. It will be a 10-year licence.

I want to ask what type of role the government is going to play in the process of Imperial Oil seeking the renewal of their water licence from the Mackenzie River that has been done in the past. Their 10-year licence expired so they are seeking another 10...