Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to use the occasion today to ask questions to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I understand that the department is developing a fracking policy, or I should say potentially developing a policy on hydraulic fracking here in the Northwest Territories.
Before we ask specifics about the policy, when will a policy be developed so Members can see it? Is the Minister committed to bringing this policy public at the same time so all members of our territory can have a look at it as to what the government is thinking along the lines of this initiative? This way we can help diagnose if this is an initiative that Northerners want and under what type of conditions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government has been working on a guidance document in a draft form. Initially we started with encouragement from the committee. We have worked with the regulator. We have come up with the draft copy that is now on its way to committee. It is going to capture some of the best practices that we think are critical as we look at the use of unconventional hydraulic fracking that has taken place in the territory and where we anticipate in the central Mackenzie and the Sahtu, it’s going to be a practice that is going to have to be managed carefully. We’ve worked to come up with that, and that will be going to committee. We’ll be awaiting committee feedback, after which we will make the draft document public and we’ll also be sharing with industry for their feedback. Thank you.
On the recent hydraulic fracturing tour that Member Bromley referenced, that we had gone with the Minister and many others, we had heard from Saskatchewan officials, one in particular – I believe he was a bioengineer of some sort or a biochemist – and he put great emphasis on the quality of the water being used and the fact that they’re not monitoring the fracking fluids that go in and come out. In their case, yes, they agreed that they go in and then much of it comes out, but they don’t know where it goes after that.
I suggested, well, why don’t we put tracers or markers in these things so we have what’s called quality assurance programming, so we know what’s happening, and when something does happen, we can trace it back to where the problem is. But the way it stands in Saskatchewan, nobody knows.
I guess my question, if I may sort of pull it together, is simply this: What type of quality assurance monitoring programs will be developed in this fracking policy, and has the policy looked hard enough to ensure that the water monitoring and quality assurance is there, to ensure Northerners are safe and protected? Thank you.
As I’ve indicated, this guidance document, in draft form, has been worked on for quite some time and we are specifically sending it to committee for their review and their feedback. So we’re not in the position, since the Member hasn’t seen the document yet, to have that discussion.
It is on its way to committee and we will look forward to having that feedback and discussion with them on a go-forward basis. Thank you.
I appreciate the Minister’s answer. I think what’s important here today in the dialogue, are these are some of the concerns we’re going to build on, and certainly we want Northerners to give us feedback.
Earlier today it was talked about the Bakken. There was a rupture in the pipeline and 20,000 barrels of crude had spilled. For two weeks no one was informed. That was almost the exact same time this study tour was there.
One of the things that had arisen when we were in Alberta last year, talking to the BC regulators and the Alberta regulators, is about full disclosure of information.
I ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources: Is there a context being considered about a public registry to ensure full disclosure of information from the start to the finish, be it accidents or chemicals or process, to ensure that the public is fully aware what’s happening? I’m going to ask him, are they contemplating a public registry.
Mr. Speaker, we have pulled together a guidance document that captures best practices, and we are looking forward to the feedback from committee, once they’ve had a chance to review it. It contains a whole host of such practices and we will look forward to whatever advice they can give us. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recognizing a point that this is going to be before committee and it’s tough for the Minister to answer all the questions, the one thing I would notice is clear contrast between North Dakota and even Saskatchewan, in this case, and the Northwest Territories is public land ownership versus private land ownership. One of the things they can’t seem to get control of is pace of development. It seems they’re in such a hurry to get it out of the ground, and it’s focused around the interests of these oil companies.
My question for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources is: What type of mechanisms does he envision to help us control the pace of development, so if this is the path we choose, we go at a northern pace designed around what Northerners want and definitely what Northerners expect? Thank you.
We have, and we are going to be taking over April 1st, a lot of the authorities through the Devolution Agreement. We have an environmental assessment process that is in place. There are further regulatory adjustments being made. We have a close working relationship with the Aboriginal governments across the Northwest Territories, especially in the Sahtu where this oil play is taking place.
As a government, we have a stated commitment as we go forward, to this balance between economic development and protecting the environment, which we hold very clear as a priority. So when you combine all of those things and we’re going to work with committee on feedback on this guidance document, for example, I think we have the pieces in place to manage this development as we have managed other developments in the past effectively, and we have learned very clearly from some of the things that have happened in the past; for example, some of the other mining developments. As it comes to oil and gas, we are working very diligently to make sure we’re prepared and ready. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
