Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about supporting our local contractors when it comes to dealing with contaminated soil issues in our smaller communities such as Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution.
Mr. Speaker, in these smaller communities we have local businesses and contractors that are providing a service to the community and in doing so they are also doing their part to contribute to the employment and the economy within their respective communities. However, Mr. Speaker, from time to time, for whatever reason, local contractors are excluded or lose out on local contracting jobs to outside competitors. I can see it if elements of the contract submissions were unreasonable. If not, there is no way this should happen and if so, we have a problem with the process. Among such an area, Mr. Speaker, is that every community in the NWT has its share of contaminated soil issues. Whether it be from local power plants, private and commercial buildings or delivery service vehicles, fuel spills do happen; more than we’d like, but they do happen.
Mr. Speaker, if local contractors in these communities have the capacity to undertake the various fuel spill jobs such as clean-up, transporting, remediation and storage of contaminated soil, then does it not make sense, Mr. Speaker, for these local contractors to be given every opportunity to take these jobs on?
Mr. Speaker, in Fort Resolution a local contractor lost out on one such opportunity to an outside contractor, I believe due to a lack of site for contaminated soil. Mr. Speaker, however, how difficult would it be to identify a plot of land, fence it off and develop it for use of a contaminated soil storage and remediation site?
Mr. Speaker, the recreation of a site would bring an immediate benefit to a local economy and possibly even create some employment opportunities. Mr. Speaker, if the community has the capacity to with its own contaminated soils issues, then the Department of Environment and Natural Resources should make every effort to work with the community to do so. Later today, I will have questions for the Minister of ENR. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
