Mr. Speaker, when we meet here in the Legislative Assembly, we often talk about the opportunities for our communities and residents provided through the GNWT’s infrastructure programs. However, today I would like to bring your attention to work that the Department of Public Works and Services is doing as part of the GNWT’s Environmental Remediation Program, and the opportunities that this work is creating for our smaller communities.
In support of the 17th Legislative Assembly’s goal of ensuring that our environment will sustain present and future generations, Public Works and Services chairs the GNWT’s Interdepartmental Granular and Environmental Remediation Committee whose members include representatives from the departments of Municipal and Community Affairs, Transportation, Environment and Natural Resources and the NWT Housing Corporation.
For its part, Mr. Speaker, Public Works and Services has been busy remediating current and former fuel storage and distribution facilities, as well as contaminated sites on behalf of other departments in communities across the NWT.
To date, PWS has completed 32 environmental site assessments in 18 communities where the GNWT provided fuel storage and distribution.
Major environmental remediation projects have now been completed in Sachs Harbour, Gameti, Deline, Lutselk’e and Tulita, with work continuing in Tuktoyaktuk and planned for Trout Lake next summer.
At the community level, coordination and cooperation between departments makes it possible for multiple sites to be remediated in a single community. This creates more local and northern business and employment opportunities while improving the efficiency of delivering the Environmental Remediation Program. A win-win for communities and government.
Other benefits being achieved through these important remediation projects include:
the restoration of land for government and community use such as municipal infrastructure and recreation;
new more cost-effective remediation technologies are being piloted in the NWT to demonstrate their effectiveness and ability to reduce costs;
job creation and training opportunities as well as economic stimulus at the community level by using local and northern contractors and consultants to carry out projects;
developing local skills for future remediation projects in our smaller communities; and
wherever possible, the return of remediated granular material to communities so that it can be recycled and used for other community projects.
Concrete examples of how these benefits are being enjoyed by our communities can be seen by looking at just a few of the department’s recently completed remediation projects, including:
the removal and treatment of 5,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil from the old tank farm site in Tulita using local labour and contractors. The remediated soil from this project was recycled back to the community.
the removal of 2,500 cubic metres of contaminated soil from the old tank farm site in Gameti using local equipment and labour to complete the work and to maintain the bio pile. The old contaminated tank farm site was located in the middle of the community and has now been backfilled and landscaped. We understand that the community is now proposing to develop a baseball field in this location.
Mr. Speaker, through the Interdepartmental Granular and Environmental Remediation Committee, Public Works and Services is helping to ensure that our communities and land are safe and sustainable. Using local and northern contractors, labour and consultants not only engages communities in restoring our environment, but helps build capacity and strengthen the partnerships which will help define our government’s environmental stewardship legacy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
