Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I would like to chat about fracking in the Sahtu. This week the Minister of ITI explained that it was the responsibility of ENR to look at the social and environmental impacts of fracking.
I am wondering: How is our ENR Minister working to ensure that fracking projects such as those being promoted by ITI are sustainable? By sustainable, I mean that we are looking at the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As a government, we are looking at the whole issue of fracking. We are looking at how we manage the balance between environment and resource development in the Sahtu. In this case, the issue of fracking is a major piece of technology that’s being used where there are risks, but we are of the opinion that we can manage those risks. One of the things that we are doing and have been working on for some time at the behest of and encouragement of Members is the guidance document that is going to be on its way to committee this week about this government’s position and guidance to industry and to regulators as what we see as critical key best practices that will provide the assurance that, in fact, we are taking the steps to manage the risks involved with fracking. Thank you.
Thanks to the Minister. I’m pleased to hear this government understands sustainable development is not something you just say without meaning anything. I think that people in our communities understand that too. I am surprised that the Minister has already made conclusions about what is sustainable here. I didn’t think we were that far along in our studying up on this subject.
Could the Minister explain the role that ENR has played in making sure that the fracking education workshops – I believe that was the ITI Minister’s term – that are being held in the Sahtu this week provide information on the potential environmental and social impacts of fracking? That is how we ensure that there are third party environmental and social experts presenting to the residents so that they can learn about the issue as they would like to. Mahsi.
That issue has been raised by the Member already. I believe the Minister of ITI indicated we are prepared to make sure we have the type of workshops that are balanced and reflect not only the possibilities in terms of economic development but the risks we have to manage and the challenges that are associated with that and the obligations we have. As the Minister of ITI said repeatedly, we have to work together to balance. So that work is underway. Thank you.
I guess that is recognition that the fracking education workshops are a partial education indeed. As we learned in North Dakota, the cumulative environmental and social impacts of fracking are very much related to how many wells were fracked and the rate at which we permit this development. So under devolution, could the Minister explain how much authority the GNWT will have to control the scale and pace of that development; that is, who will say this is too much and how will we decide that. Mahsi.
There’s going to be a number of things that are going to happen after April 1st and the MVRMA will continue having a role to play. We will be defining our role as it pertains to being the regulator.
In terms of development, we will work with the land and water boards that are there, we will work with industry and all the other processes that are there to look at cumulative impacts. We are going to focus initially as well – and we’ve already indicated this publicly and to committee – that we are at work through the Environmental Research Fund that is partially funded by industry to look at the groundwater mapping, wildlife baseline gathering information so that we collectively have the information, that critical baseline information, to help us make the assessment and determination about cumulative impact.
There’s going to be, clearly, a political component about the pace of development. Member Yakeleya mentioned that as well. We all want to do this the right way. We want to do it in a balanced way and we want to make sure we maintain the balance between the environment and resource development. So we are very cognizant of our responsibilities and our role collectively to be good stewards both in this Legislature and all Northerners, I would suggest. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This type of development, fracking well pads every four miles with up to 40 wells per pad now, roads and pipelines criss-crossing the land has never taken place in an area this far north and with the challenges the Sahtu poses. I know the Minister is aware there’s a world of difference between what we saw, for example, in North Dakota/Saskatchewan where you can put in a road in an afternoon and reclaim it in a couple of days.
Could the Minister explain how ENR will decide how much fracking or development associated with fracking is too much, given that we don’t have these sorts of baselines on which to base this information? Mahsi.
One of the things that is happening with devolution is we are setting up a lands department, and one of the ideas and plans with the lands department is between the lands department, ITI and ENR we will be able to form a development assessment component or process that will allow us to provide the oversight and proper input in all those areas. Of course, in this case we’re working with exploration. As exploration is done and if it proves out, clearly we will be moving ahead with that process, with tour discussion with the Sahtu members, the people in the Sahtu, the various environmental assessment process to determine the rate and intensity, the issue of cumulative impact, that we’re not going to be dealing on a project-by-project basis. While there will be a project-by-project approval process, clearly we have a broader obligation to manage the issues that the Member has raised. We’re designing our systems to do that. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
