Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke of the need for environment officers in Tu Nedhe. Today, along that same line, I would like to talk about the Stark Lake cleanup near Lutselk’e. Mr. Speaker, I have raised the issue before and with little progress on this, I need to again raise awareness of this important environmental issue.
Mr. Speaker, the community, particularly the elders of the community, have been asking for something to be done ever since the mine closed in the late 1950s. It is unacceptable the way the land was left. Mr. Speaker, according to the community, the mine was a uranium mine that started in 1952 and then closed within a few years leaving behind a large tailings pile that was highly radioactive. The people hardly go near that area.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue for the community and a very serious issue for the environment. Something needs to be done as soon as possible. According to the community, since the mine closed residents have found fish that were deformed, some fish had unusually high amounts of parasites that may be fish coming from that area. Mr. Speaker, we are talking about a primary source of food for the residents. Again, I cannot stress enough that this is a very serious matter and needs immediate attention.
Mr. Speaker, the government has a great opportunity to address a serious environmental concern and provide some employment opportunities for the community. I have stood up in the House and spoken about limited economic and employment opportunities in Lutselk’e, and it’s no secret there a number of exploration projects underway in the regulatory process or at the discussion stage with the local aboriginal government. This translates into a need for environmental workers and responsible stewardship of the land. This is a traditional territory of the people of Lutselk’e. They know the land. We would be in the best position to work with the government to clean up this site.
Mr. Speaker, the Stark Lake cleanup project is a very serious environmental concern. This government needs to start working through the process of cleaning it up as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
