Debates of February 18, 2005 (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. Mr. Speaker, when I’m not in my constituency, I obviously have occasion to live in the capital. I live in Frame Lake and you cannot live in Frame Lake without noticing an extreme amount of heavy traffic which uses the Old Airport Road to access the Kam Lake Industrial Park for various reasons. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister who is responsible for developing and enforcing legislation related to the transport of hazardous, dangerous and flammable goods through densely-populated residential areas within municipalities. Is it the Government of the Northwest Territories? Is it the City of Yellowknife? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is no legislative requirement to route a special bypass road for hazardous material at this point. It makes good planning sense, I would assume. The responsibility would fall in the hands of the municipality. If that was the desire of the community to put in a special bypass road to re-route hazardous material, the municipality would have to pay for it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when you travel anywhere in Southern Canada, you always see designated routes with markers, which indicate that there are specified areas in which you can take heavy traffic with tankers containing certain materials and I’d be very surprised if there is no such legislation in the Northwest Territories and, if there isn’t, perhaps there should be. Mr. Speaker, who would be liable today if there was an incident that resulted in injury in Yellowknife because of this type of traffic on our roads? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

Mr. Speaker, that would probably have to be decided by the courts, but I’m assuming that the shipper would be assuming responsibility for the liability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

So, Mr. Speaker, then the Minister does not feel that Municipal and Community Affairs has any responsibility towards ensuring that municipalities have legislation in place to protect the traveling public when it comes to busy routes and heavily populated areas for hazardous materials. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a concern, of course, of Municipal and Community Affairs. We’ve had numbers of complaints. We have an issue in the town of Tulita where the trucks go right through the centre of the community and we have looked at our legislation. At this point there is no current legislation requiring us to have a bypass road. We’d like to have bypass roads in the communities where there are hazardous materials transported. There is no requirement even through the Emergency Measures Act. However, there is a requirement to conduct a risk assessment and develop a response plan by the community in order to deal with some of these issues, but that’s the extent of what the requirements are under our legislation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The time for oral questions has expired; however, I will allow the Member a final supplementary. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would a risk assessment or an emergency measures plan include not only the transportation of hazardous materials but, as referred to by Mr. Ramsay earlier, for instance, like in the recent incident where we had the airport and the only road out of the city closed for quite a period of time? I believe eight to 10 hours with absolutely no possibility to either get out by road or by air. Would something like that be covered in a city’s emergency plan and would it not make sense to have alternate routes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 431-15(3): Transport Of Dangerous Goods In Municipalities

Thank you. It may, depending on the community. Each community has a different plan and, for the most part, the plans are different because of the specific and different needs of each community. The plan deals with the issues that are potentially there and would deal with them as required. So it really depends on the specifics. There is no general plan, as the Member has indicated. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Time for oral questions has expired. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to oral questions, item number 6 on the agenda. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.