Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That particular area for recycling is on our list but we’ve been fully and thoroughly occupied with the whole issue of getting ready for the level on single-use retail bags, getting ready to implement and institute the recycling of milk containers. We’ve got, as I’ve indicated in my remarks, some work underway trying to come up with innovative ways community by community on dealing with the massive amounts of cardboard and paper that are probably the single biggest substance going into landfills. We’re also trying to come to grips with a way to do the e-waste so that we can look at the very many computers and TVs and all the other accoutrements of computers and computer use in today’s technology. Coming after that, we’re also interested in the 45 gallon drums scattered in the thousands across the Northwest Territories, as well as vehicles. So it’s a question of resources and capacity, but it’s definitely on our list to get to and we’re working our way down. Thank you.
The Minister has listed off some very impressive initiatives that I fully support going forward. Would he consider maybe if, say for example, a community or a corporation wanted to deal with the vehicles issues. Would he look at a proposal where the community can work on arrangements to bring in some machine like this? Because, you know, we’re limited funds and he’s got a whole lot of good issues that he’s going to be tackling, and if these vehicles would be… If this type of a situation is on the list, I don’t know if there’s enough time in the life of this government to implement such a project. This is something that I’d be interested to hear, to see if it’s something that this government here would be looking at in terms of strengthening partnerships in the community and cleaning up garbage in our communities.
Should a community or interested party come forward with a proposal that would propose to be able to remedy this particular situation in a way that is going to be affordable, of course we’d be happy to look at that, keeping in mind our own limited resources and our capacity that we’re now focusing on these other key areas. But we’d be prepared to look at that. Thank you.
Thank you. I certainly appreciate the Minister’s openness in terms of a community willing to possibly put forward a proposal should they still have an interest in it. I would like to thank the Minister on that.
One issue I wanted to talk about within the time frame I have is the climate change. I asked the community of Colville Lake, especially when I met with the elders in Colville Lake -- there was about 12 of them that I met with -- and one of the important things that the elders in Colville Lake talked to me about was the climate, the weather and the changing of the weather. They were very concerned about the fast changes of our weather. They’re having a hard time, sometimes, even to read the weather. They said the animals were having a hard time, because they notice the weather is changing on them pretty fast. So they were quite concerned.
I want to know if the Minister is looking at any type of traditional knowledge in terms of meeting with elders. I’d like to propose that the Sahtu elders get together to talk about climate change and the weather and the impacts on the land and the water and the air.
As has been told to me by one resident in Colville Lake, when the elders speak up and they want to talk about an issue, then you need to pay real close attention, because that’s something that’s a concern for them. It’s only when the elders speak on this issue that we should act on it.
I know this government has done some good work on climate change. They have done some work on some initiatives. I wanted to ask about gathering some of the elders in my region to sit down and look at this issue in terms of from a traditional, users-of-the-land approach and very simple on what the elders are saying about climate change. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of ENR, of course, is very interested, as the government is as a whole, and our Traditional Knowledge Strategy, we’ve got money in the budget for implementation. We know we have money in the budget to deal with issues related to climate change, mitigation and adaptation. There are concerns about caribou. There are concerns about what’s happening to the water. There are concerns about what’s happening to the land. We’ve got money identified, for example, for studies on permafrost that can help us make better informed decisions in the appropriate, affected communities. So under that particular area there would be an opportunity to make sure that we engage the advice and the wisdom of the elders. Thank you.
I do want to let the Minister know we do appreciate the support he’s given in the past to some of the elders on other issues in terms of traditional knowledge. They have come forward and I’m not too sure how to take this in terms of engaging the elders on traditional knowledge. So I’m asking more specifically in terms of the Sahtu elders such as the ones in Colville, Fort Good Hope and Deline, they have expressed clearly to me, as in Tulita also, that they want to get together. These are the elders that have used the land and they know about the land and they want to talk about the climate change. They want to talk about this important issue to them. It means a lot if we can somehow have a gathering for them to sit and have a discussion amongst themselves in terms of this issue here. The Minister is saying that there’s money that’s identified. I’m not too sure if I’m reading it right in terms of engaging them. I’m asking now to be more specific to my region that I represent to have elders come together, sit for three or four days, and talk about climate change.
This is an issue, of course, across the whole Northwest Territories. We have some resources. We would like to work at the regional level with our folks as well as the aboriginal governments, possibly the federal government and other possible interested NGOs, but I think if we collaborate we can come up with ways to take full advantage of the traditional knowledge and allow for the type of forum that would give us that input, but it’s going to take that kind of collaborative approach. I don’t think there’s any one organization that has the full resources to do this everywhere that there’s an interest, but collaboratively we could probably do something in each region. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Next on my list I have Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I just want to follow up from the biomass initiative and some geothermal initiatives from my riding. Of course, I’ve written to the Minister’s office in trying to move those forward, particularly the Jean Marie initiative. But I think the Minister’s...(inaudible)...may have slowed down there a bit, but it’s something that I think our government should, of course, continue to support. We’re looking for, I think, because of the technology that’s there and the capital program, I think some of the ideas out there, of course, are looking for pilot dollars. I noticed that on this page there, Mr. Chair, that we do fund other agencies and as well as, I think, initiatives like this where we may even need some federal financing from their department. So is there a coordinated effort or is that something that a particular community or business venture... Is it up to them to kind of find the different pots of money? Or else is there a coordinated function in ENR that can assist communities and/or businesses as they work through the process of establishing pilot projects? Because I think that’s something that we’re going to have to at least try to be helpful with, Mr. Chair. If the Minister can speak on that. Thanks.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We work with the proponents. We, being the initiators and the pushers on this particular initiative, will also go to other governments, like the federal government. The challenge for us and community governments, as the Member knows, is we’ve been talking about it, we have an interested community but we are almost in a state of paralysis by analysis as we try to decide on the technology. Is there the perfect technology out there and if it is not, should we wait?
We have had the discussion but we have to, in year two, make some decisions with communities. We are doing good work with the territorial government retrofitting its own buildings, but in terms of actually doing the projects on a community basis, we have to make that determination and commit to the process and commit to the resources and at the same time look for other funding that may be available depending on the magnitude and complexity of what is required. Thank you.
I think the key thing is that we just have to keep working with the communities and the different business groups. They are looking for these technologies and it is all about... I think we have to get to the stage of actually picking a project and actually piloting it. I know that some of the costs of some of the technologies can be overwhelming, but there are some projects that can be done on a smaller scale, probably with, I don’t know, mini units, Mr. Chairman.
In terms of biomass or in terms of geothermal or some of the other technologies out there, I think it can be done on a smaller scale just to see that it is achievable and doable. For example, in making wood pellets, the units don’t have to be very big, but I think that if there is a smaller unit out there and we are able to bring that in and prove and demonstrate that... Yes, the technology has changed, perhaps we can use other products besides only sawdust. I think that we should actually try it. I don’t think that we would be losing anything if we are trying our best to find and test the different technologies that are out there.
Of course, with biomass and wood pellet making, I think they have always said woodchips are the best, but at the same time, if there is no sawmill, maybe there is an industry in bringing in a chipper and selectively logging 50 percent dry wood or whatever it takes. I think that we should keep an open mind. We should not be limited. There has got to be a certain amount of stock of sawdust and or woodchips there, Mr. Chairman. I would encourage the department to keep an open mind. Let’s look at all the projects out there and let’s strive to see if we can actually develop a pilot project this coming year. Thank you.
We agree with the Member that we want to find even a smaller scale project. In a small community, if we could hook up two or three big buildings to a biomass heater like they have done at the jail here or like they have done in some of the other government facilities, but for the community.
The other broader issue for creating an industry is tied to that whole issue of sustainable forests around communities and access to land so that you can in fact manage the forests, do your fire protection but have a close by source of wood, be it for woodchips, firewood or pellets. We are looking at some of the portable technology that is out there that may be applicable both in the southern part of the Territory as well as farther north up into the Inuvik region. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I, too, would like to comment, especially on the potential that we have with our forest sector in the Northwest Territories. I think that it is a potential that we have never really developed in any sense of the word and the economic potential it has for job creation and job opportunities. More importantly, we need to use the resources around us, especially around our communities where we do have timber stands and forest stands. I think we also have to realize that we don’t want to cut down all the key forest stands. If anything, we should be using the by-products by way of willows. We are looking at what they call wood that is basically dead wood and harvest those types of species so that we don’t find ourselves in the situation where we are cutting all the good potential timber stands. We have to look at the other products that are around our communities and I think that we have to start considering potentials.
I know that we might not be able to look at the potential of having the wood pellet factory in the Northwest Territories, but I think we do have potential with woodchips and the technology that is out there now and having the equipment brought into our communities or have a community development corporation or through our renewable resource councils or individuals, consider that type of investment and look at the potential that we have in regards to biomass and heating our public facilities regardless of if it is a school or hamlet garage or fire hall or whatnot as a secondary heat system.
I think that we have to realize that the systems we are looking at are compatible with the systems we have already where you are going to have to have a secondary heat system anyway. I think that we should seriously consider looking at pilot projects like has been mentioned. I think that we should maybe consider looking at pilot projects in the immediate future in the different regions so that we could consider some means of getting this process going because I think that it is like anything else; education is key.
I think we also have to realize that we have been using wood products from the North thousands of years for heat and I think that people already can adapt to it and I think that we also have to realize that there are communities... I’ll use the community of Old Crow in the Yukon in which they built a brand new school and they heated it by a wood boiler. They harvest their trees and basically use that as the heat source for their school. I think that is something that we have to look at for where we have the potential timber stands, but, again, we have to look at more than just biomass. I think we have to look at the economics of it and the benefits that it has for small communities for job creation and I think, if anything, if we can even generate 10 jobs in a community that will go a long way to the sustainability of our isolated communities. I think for me and also for the sake of the environment, where we have a win/win situation and weed ourselves off of the dependency of fossil fuels.
I would just like to question the Minister, considering there are forest inventories that have been done in certain regions, I know the Gwich’in Settlement Region have completed their forest inventory. They are working with the department to take it to the second step. So I would like to ask the Minister if he is seriously considering looking at pilot projects for those regions that are willing to take this on and consider looking at biomass as an alternate means of heating public facilities.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr Chairman. This Legislature made a very significant commitment, political commitment, to structure an infrastructure to change how we generate energy, how we distribute, how we use it, and to reduce our carbon footprint and get off diesel fuel. What we have to do with biomass, there is a number of steps and we are on the way to doing some of that. We have to build the market, which is get the biomass infrastructure into the communities that use it. Then we have to look at managing the forests as a secondary step. Right now we import a lot of the wood pellets. There is some firewood burning, but it is usually on a residential level just for block firewood. We have to then look at the possibility of managing the forests and then getting the infrastructure in place; the secondary value-added industry to look at providing the biomass product for the market that we are going to build up with our own government infrastructure and residential infrastructure.
In the Inuvik area, we are looking, as we speak, at how do we take advantage, for example of the fast growing willows and not, as the Member said, knock down prime wood. Though I would point out that across the country there is a recognition in the forest industry that the whole area of biomass is going to be probably their salvation as they experience significant decline in their other products that are available for the market. In the North we don’t have that concern, but we do have a concern about managing the forests and we’re committed to that whole process. Thank you.
One thing that I haven’t really noted from this department is the area of residual heat and I think we have to realize that there is that potential. I know that Fort McPherson has taken that on. They have a joint venture between the Gwich’in Development Corporation and the NWT Power Corporation, which that project has been working for several years now and in which, again, other communities are looking at that as a potential area and I don’t really see anything in your budget here for that. I think that we have to realize that where a building is close enough to a power plant that has the ability to move the heat from the power plant to say the fire hall or a garage which is next door, I think that type of stuff has to be considered where we can take advantage of such facilities like diesel plants to generate that heat, but, more importantly, expand systems so that we are able to build on systems that are already in place.
Like I mentioned, the residual heat system in Fort McPherson, which is connected to the canvas shop, the water treatment plant, the school, the swimming pool. Again, I think we have to expand that to other facilities in the community. Also, if you’re looking at a capacity issue, I think that’s perfect for biomass and using it as the secondary system to reheat the system so that you’re not using diesel fuel to recharge the system and if you’re using wood that’s probably more environmentally sound.
So I’d just like to ask why haven’t you considered residual heat in the confines of some of the initiatives you’re looking at here. Thank you.
. In fact, through the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee there is funds in the budget for energy conservation and expansion of residual heat and its work through ITI and NTPC. There’s some feasibility work that was done last year, but it is one of our considerations in all the planning that’s done. It’s just not under the purview directly of ENR, but there are plans and funding and such that are through ITI and NTPC.
I believe probably the most fundamental foundations for moving on this initiative is going to have government policies, a directive that directs departments to make the change. Like with anything else, anything new, a lot of people are used to simply burning diesel fuel. You put it in the tank, you turn it on and you call the fuel truck next time you need it filled up, but just get people around the idea that we’re going to wean ourselves off of diesel fuel or fossil fuels and start looking at these new initiatives. So I’d just like to ask the Minister, is the government going to be coming forward with different types of policy frameworks so that departments have to consider these initiatives going forward and that we don’t do business as we always have.
I think, like anything else, you know, in Europe it took them basically 30 years to get to where they are today and at one time they were at 98 or 95 percent dependence on fossil fuel where now they’re down to 3 to 5 percent. I think that we have to look at a policy directive from government to the government departments that they have to take this on full stop and make a political statement that we are serious, that we are moving. So I’d just like to ask the Minister, will there be any policy framework decisions coming forward on making this switchover.
I would suggest that the $60 million this Legislature and the business plans that have been approved and the direction that has been taken by the department is a clear reflection of the political decision by this Legislature. Public Works and Services has a very ambitious plan to continue the retrofits. We are looking at concluding all, as the Minister of MACA indicated, the community energy plans. We’re committed to working with communities to make the transition. As well, we have significant funds in the budget to encourage homeowners to convert to more energy efficient appliances or wood pellet stoves or other methods of heat that are not related to diesel. So we’re going to be on this and we are all across all the government departments, as well as with communities and I think there’s a recognition territory-wide that we’re on the start of a fundamental shift here as a Territory. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Next on my list I have Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions relative to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. I’d, first of all, like to talk about greenhouse gas emission targets. I know that the business plan talks about that we want to be 10 percent below 2001 levels by 2011. That target is fairly modest I guess I would say. I’d like to know from the Minister if there has been any consideration or if there’s going to be any consideration in this next fiscal year to increase the intensity of that reduction. Will we be able to set more stringent targets, I guess, for ourselves? Has that been discussed and if that’s the case, if that’s not the case... Well, I’ll just leave it at that. I’ll ask that question first. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I indicated in my comments, there is a plan to renew the Greenhouse Gas Strategy for the Northwest Territories. We want to do it by 2011. So in 2010 we are going to come up with a revamped process of how we do that. It’s going to be outward looking as opposed to just within governments and it’s going to probably take a much more critical, a more comprehensive look than was taken last time looking just at government operations. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister for that. I’m sorry; I missed that in your remarks. I must have been snoozing. I guess I would like to know if the Minister could elaborate a bit. You’re talking about this plan being a little more expansive. Are you looking to pull in communities, to have communities as part of sort of the overall greenhouse gas emission targets, and/or are you looking to involve individual residents so that they can adapt their activities to try and lower our greenhouse gas emissions? Thank you.
The world has evolved significantly in its awareness of climate change and greenhouse gases and the need to be as proactive as possible. The process that we are envisioning is going to be a broad one that’s going to involve, of course, government, but community governments, individuals, industry. The world and the country are moving towards cap and trade systems. Many jurisdictions have already put caps and cap and trade systems in place, put a price on carbon. That discussion is now going to take place in the Northwest Territories to see where we can get agreement to end up, recognizing once again a significant change both in the world and in people’s understanding of what needs to be done. Thank you.
Just a last question on this area. The work is going to be done you said in 2010, you’re hoping to have it done by 2011. Are you talking the beginning of 2011 or middle or end of the year? Can you give us a rough idea as to the time frame for the work to set these targets and set up this plan? Thank you.
It would be our hope at this juncture in early days of planning and scheduling that by spring 2011 that we would hopefully have a product on the table that would set the standard for the Northwest Territories when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Thank you to the Minister for that. I’d like to as well, when we reviewed the business plans there was a discussion about developing an NWT Climate Change Adaptation Plan and I don’t believe I saw any date in there. I think that that work was being undertaken in this current fiscal year. I’d like to ask the Minister if we are developing an NWT Climate Change Adaptation Plan and, if so, is it done or when might it be done.
In fact, there is an initial document that does exist. We have money in the budget identified to do further work to flesh it out in more detail and do some of the actual work. One of the areas I think we’re looking at working on in this area is the whole area of permafrost. There is work underway. There is a document already on the table that we took to a meeting I went to with the Premier at the Western Premiers’ Meetings. It’s going to be fleshed out and enhanced as we go on and do a lot of the work that we’ve laid out here in our business plan.
Thanks for that information. Just to follow up, I wasn’t quite sure what you were referencing as going to be happening in this next fiscal year. I note that there’s some money in grants and contributions for communities and regional governments. So you’re talking about fleshing out the plan and expanding it. Is that work only going to be done by the GNWT or is there some money available for the communities to do some of this work as well?
At this juncture it’s the government pulling together all its work on its adaptation plan. At the same time we are doing a lot of work. For example, there’s money in the budget to do further work on permafrost, which is a direct area of study that’s going to require adaptation as changes in permafrost occur across the land. The government is going to finish pulling together its plan and at the same time we’re continuing specific areas of work as we look at actual adaptation to situations, circumstances, and realities on the ground.
Thanks to the Minister for that. I guess having asked about these two things individually I’d like to now ask the Minister how they relate to each other. Will these two projects operate or be developed in isolation of each other? I would hope not, but could he give me sort of a description, I guess, of how we’re going to set our greenhouse gas targets and also develop an NWT Climate Adaptation Plan and not do them together? Or will they be done together?
Of course the Greenhouse Gas Strategy is on the path to mitigation. It’s helping us be more responsible to cut our carbon footprint reliance on fossil fuels and help set up a system that if it’s done right could provide funding for the very many things we’re going to have to do related to adaptation to climate change as the land and waters and forests and ecosystems around us change. We’ve already spent millions on piles, we got shore erosion in some of our communities in the Beaufort-Delta and Aklavik areas. We have enormous amounts of money spent on repairing roads, even around this Legislature. The two are definitely linked. They’re looking at the same problem, different aspects.
Just one last question to do with the numbers on page 13-17. The climate change, in the program delivery details it lists climate change as $6.8 million give or take. In grants and contributions is some $5 million, which seemed to basically refer to climate change. I just wonder if the Minister could advise if that’s correct. Most of that $6.8 million for climate change, is it going to be... Sorry. Is the $5 million in grants and contributions identified under that climate change figure of $6.8 million?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Miltenberger. Sorry. Ms. Magrum.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, it is. The majority of that increase, that million, is for the Biomass Strategy, which is under climate change.
Thank you, Ms. Magrum. Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Next on my list I have Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are a couple areas I’d like to follow up on. Maybe first I’ll follow up on a question raised by Mr. Yakeleya that I do support. It is about removing the old cars and derelict cars or vehicles, whatever the case may be, from the communities along certainly the Mackenzie where they’re accessible. I view it a little bit different in this particular case, but it’s the same problem. Is it possible that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources could foresee potential out there that they could organize something that could draw the cars down to, for example, Hay River? What I’m thinking is through the barge system on the backhauls that to help clean up some of these communities, does that possibility exist, that as an empty barge moves down the Mackenzie they could coordinate with community governments, bands, whatnot, about having them taken from their dump sites, dropped on the barge, and brought into, for example, Hay River. It’s a lot easier to coordinate getting a car crusher into Hay River than the logistics of shipping it up the river and coordinating it that way. Does the department see themselves in a position that perhaps they could play a role if someone was willing to help coordinate that?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I indicated to Mr. Yakeleya, should somebody come forward with a proposal, we’d of course look at that. But for the foreseeable future, we are fully engaged. As I indicated, we just instituted the bag levy, the milk. We’ve done some serious work and are going to do some more work on sorting out the cardboard and wastepaper. We’re looking at e-waste. As I’ve indicated to the Member, tied to the vehicles we have all the drums. The other big one is, of course, tires. It’s an issue of capacity and time. We’re working our way down that list. If somebody was to bring us a proposal that we could see made some sense and was affordable and we could somehow support, we would give it serious consideration.
I could swear that the Minister was reading off my list of questions because I wanted to go through that. He did mention tires and that’s another issue that I’ve raised a number of times, about getting a tire shredder organized and perhaps we could partner with the Yukon government whether we drive it up the Mackenzie Highway throughout the winter and drop it off in communities and leave it there in a centralized place over a couple-year period or, for example, as I mentioned earlier perhaps even barge these things down in a collective manner. I mean, basically this becomes just a useless landfill if it sits in a community. These things could be recycled. The potential for the old cars to head to the smelting plants to provide old steel turned into new steel for new cars. That type of potential exists. I’m just curious.
As far as e-waste and paper, right now, as I understand it, we really don’t have a recycling program for paper that works very well, if there is one up and running. Most people think in the government that if you recycle paper you go to these little metal bins that are white and have a nice little shield on them, but actually all that does is it gets shredded and sent to the dump and then put in the compactor and goes in the ground. A lot of people believe that they get recycled, but it does not. I’m just curious how the government plans to propose to address things like paper and e-waste, if the Minister could clarify. My apologies if he has to repeat it, but I didn’t hear it earlier.
When it comes to wastepaper and cardboard we have identified some funds. We have gone out to communities and businesses, organizations, and we’re looking at opportunities either for recycling, true recycling, not just compacting and putting into a landfill, converting to biomass, converting to pellets. There’s a number of other options that are out there.
With e-waste, as we look at our own recycling, I know just from personal experience having taken some loads down, you can go down to Edmonton, Alberta. They have a very sophisticated e-waste recycling plant, I know, in Edmonton, and they will take all the computers and all your keyboards and all the other accoutrements of this technology and recycle it. So we have to look at is it better to have a shipping arrangement with Alberta or create our own. At this point, that final decision hasn’t been made, but we know we don’t intend to reinvent the wheel here. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I was glad to hear the Minister mention some barrel recovery. I’ve often said that we should put a bit of a head tax on those types of things such as if someone brings back these empty barrels that have been dumped all over the land. As an example, we give $50 per one that returns, and that’s only an example. I don’t know if that’s feasible or if that’s too low either. I don’t know. I’ve asked for this concept to be thought through, because I think this could provide an excellent opportunity to get some of these things in. You know, when people are coming home off the land, they can throw in one of these derelict barrels and all of a sudden it’s paying for some of their gas on the way home.
As far as waste oil in the communities and perhaps even batteries, does the department have any plans to address some of those? In the past I’ve suggested, for example, that the government invest a bit of money into a waste oil burner to become the opportunity where people can drop these things off, and we could be heating a government garage of some sort or that type of thing. Because a lot of these waste oil burners can burn normal oil, in other words, clean oil, as well as the waste oil. So, as I understand it, I mean, you don’t have a lot of opportunities, whether you’re living in Tulita or you’re living in Fort Simpson or you’re living wherever, I mean, ultimately, when you change the oil in your vehicles, I mean, where are these things going? And they’re just going into some barrel or in some container and sits somewhere. I mean, it’s very unfeasible to have a program to go collect what would be seen as very few litres, but yet, the opportunity could be that we could pick it up through this process. Does the Minister have any insight on that?
The last point I have, because I suspect he’ll use all the remaining time on the clock, is as far as e-waste and paper and, perhaps, tires, is there any seed money in this particular budget and if there is, how much seed money is available for a contractor to come forward and present these ideas if they have a logistical proposal that could meet the needs such as cleaning these things up? You know, whether they’re batteries in the communities, whether they’re e-waste or tires, paper, et cetera. Thank you.
I’ve gone through the list of the things we’re working on as we work our way down. We do have some funds available and a program in place to get feedback on wastepaper and cardboard. We are doing some preliminary work on the e-waste. The area of tires, barrels, vehicles, waste oil are there for another day in that we’re stretched to capacity trying to do all the very many things plus all the things we’re already doing with the full recycling that we have on the go. Thank you.
Is there a dollar amount attached to any program here that could help start or seed an opportunity? Is there a particular budget line item that could reflect that opportunity if people were to come forward in the private industry and say they’d be willing to take on some of these challenges? Is the Minister able to highlight that? Thank you.
We have the Environment Fund that out of the money that we get from recycling and any profits goes in to fund itself to allow us to engage in other activities. That fund is fairly well subscribed to, but that’s where we took some of the money, for example, to do the work on the wastepaper and cardboard. Thank you.
Where does that fund sit at financially right now? Have proposals come out of this type of initiative and how much are we talking about could be available for someone who wanted to present a proposal to start one of these types of projects? Thank you.
Ms. Magrum.
