Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about the need to clean up contaminated sites. I have questions for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister what the plan is for cleaning up contaminated sites in Tu Nedhe. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has raised the issue of example, Stark Lake, in this House. We know that there are issues still related to Pine Point that are still being dealt with. We are responsible and we are taking the appropriate steps. There are many cases, in fact the majority of them, where the federal government is still responsible, like Stark Lake. The plan is to continue to work with the federal government in terms of remediating those sites, and as we look to devolution and the AIP and the negotiations that are going to take place, there will be negotiations as well starting to make sure that as we transition we cover off the proper remediation for those various sites, both ones that the federal government is responsible for now as well as what the territorial government is currently responsible for. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me if there’s any sort of schedule in place to clean up those sites? Thank you.
There’s information that we have that I can make sure the Member has that lays out the sites and the work that’s being done in the different areas and some of the scheduling. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned in my Member’s statement that I thought the Interim Resource Management Agreement would be a good avenue. I’m just wondering if the Minister could give me a status and what the funding is surrounding the Interim Resource Management Agreement. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there are several hundreds of thousands of dollars that’s cost shared between ourselves and the federal government and that money is in the budget again this year. As well, we are looking at other opportunities, partnering up as it relates to water in the Delta around Chip and the Chip-Athabasca, the Peace-Athabasca Delta and down into the Slave lowlands with Parks Canada, with the Alberta government, with the territorial government, as well as the Aboriginal governments. So there are other opportunities as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the partnering up with those various groups, I’m wondering if the Minister could ensure that once the work is started on cleaning up these sites, that local labour is used for the areas that are being cleaned up. Thank you.
The answer would be affirmative, that we see a tremendous value, especially on issues where traditional knowledge will be very valuable and local knowledge and intimate knowledge of the land and the water. So, yes, we will, as we proceed, make that commitment. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
