Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of ENR. In my Member’s statement I talked about the mining industry impacts. Today I want to focus on the environment and the cleanup, and later on I’ll focus on the business opportunities and the potential opportunities and challenges to date.
I want to ask the Minister of Environment, has this government been working with the federal government in regards to the Bear Lake remediation cleanup of the mines that have been happening in that area? It’s been reported that 700,000 tonnes of waste was dumped into Bear Lake. Is the government working with the community of Deline on that cleanup?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are well aware of that. From what I recollect, that is one of the waste sites that the federal government has kept to be remediated. Thank you.
Mining has been pretty active in the Sahtu, and I’d like to continue my question. In the Mackenzie Mountains across from Tulita, I think the Minister is aware that there’s a lake called Drum Lake where the Drum Lake Lodge is situated. In that area there is a small site that’s been abandoned by, reportedly, a Shell company there that needs to be cleaned up.
Has the Minister looked at this small site at the Drum Lake area?
If my memory serves me correctly once again, I do recollect the Member sending me pictures of the site, which I sent to the department. We’re aware of the circumstance, but there’s been no active ability to put funds towards the cleanup at this point. Thank you.
Thank you. I’ll continue working with the Minister on this issue. I want to look at the other areas in the Sahtu.
Have there been any other sites in the Good Hope/Colville Lake area in regards to mining activities that are left for remediation by this government or the federal government?
I’ll commit to the Member to get him a complete list of sites in the Sahtu, federal and territorial, as they currently exist today. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to that list. The Doi T’oh Territorial Park and the Canol Heritage Trail are 942 square kilometres. Can I ask the Minister if he would provide a remediation, contamination report on the cleanup, because this is in discussion with this government here, as regards to our responsibility once all the checks and balances have been signed off and we take ownership of those two areas?
I once again recollect flying down, having the benefit of being able to take a tour of partway into Doi T’oh Canyon into Godlin Lake with the Member, and it is truly spectacular country. You can see the remnants from World War II. That is still a federal area. As the Member has pointed out, there is a considerable amount of remediation that has to be done. When that is done to the satisfaction of all parties, then the territorial government will look at taking over the remediated site. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
