Merci, Madam la Presidente. My questions are for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about the development of regulations for discharges from the Alberta tar sands.
I understand that Alberta has begun ecological and human health risk assessment work downstream of potential discharge points. Can the Minister tell us what involvement, if any, this government has had in this risk assessment work and whether it includes impacts into the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Minister for Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, it is my understanding that human health and ecological risk assessments are one of the six knowledge gaps that the Alberta government is working on. My understanding, in reaching out to the Alberta government, is Alberta has retained an independent consultant to complete the work to fill this information gap. Once the report is completed, then it's going to be given to the GNWT and then the GNWT, the department and the ones who we the consultants we've retained, will be looking at it and assessing it as in looking at the findings.
Madam Speaker, I want to make sure that people understand the department has made it very clear to Alberta and the federal government that any plans to release treated oil sand water to surface water must ensure the ecological integrity of water in the NWT is maintained. And we've been very clear in my communications with both the federal minister and the Alberta Minister. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm not sure he actually answered my question. So I'll try it a different way here.
So one of the most important pieces of work that's going to be done is considering any potential discharges and the impacts of the tar sands tailings, and that usually involves modeling of contaminants downstream. So can the Minister tell us if any of this modeling work has been done and whether it includes the Northwest Territories? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the Government of Alberta is focusing on impacts immediately downstream from the oil sands region to the Old Fort. Their assessment and modeling does not extend into the NWT. Based on the outcome from the risk assessment on initial model, they will consider extending their model to the PeaceAthabasca delta. The GNWT will request further modeling if the results are of a concern for us. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. If I was worried before, now I'm even more worried that this modeling doesn't even go into the Northwest Territories. So if it doesn't cover the Northwest Territories, I'd like to know more from the Minister what he's going to do about this? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, as I've said to the Member and the House here, we are the Alberta government is working on theirs; we then are going to reassess it, and if we have concerns we will go from there. We are working with the Alberta government. We are reaching out to them, telling them our concerns. We're working with Indigenous governments to identify these. So we are working on this. This is a file that may not be out in the public. It may not be splashed all over the papers as people would like. We are doing the work behind the scenes with the Indigenous governments, keeping them informed. And once we are able to be able to achieve things and or we have concerns, we will make sure we get the committee informed, because right now we don't have information beyond that we are working with the Alberta government. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that. I'm not asking him to splash it all across the newspapers, but the only information I've got from this Minister, from this government, is what I get in the House about this issue. That is totally unacceptable.
What I want from this Minister is to start sharing what they're doing behind closed doors with this side of the House. So as the "polluter pays principle" says, you know, the Northwest Territories should not have to spend our resources to understand what the impacts may be from the tar sands. Can the Minister tell us what he is doing to recover our costs from the Alberta and/or federal government? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we're working as best we can with the Member. We're trying to get that information. He may not want it he may want it details down to the ground. We don't have that information right now to share. We're willing to share that information.
In regards to his question, ENR is working on our bilateral water management agreement and its bilateral management committee to get regular updates, reports, and information, etcetera, from the Alberta government. Alberta has assured the NWT that it has retained a team of highly qualified independent experts to fill the gap, the knowledge gap, and they will share their reports and findings. ENR is and will continue to do its due diligence to ensure NWT waters and our residents are protected.
Madam Speaker, we are working for the residents. Once we have something concrete to share with committee, we will do that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Madam la Presidente. I want to thank the Minister for that.
You know, I keep asking questions of this Minister, now two days in a row, because I'm not getting any other information. So will this Minister now commit to finally start to share some of what's going on behind closed doors with this side of the House on this issue? Mahsi, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, we're going to share, when we have concrete information, with committee. We're more than willing to do that. The Member has reached out to us. We've had private individual meetings with him. We have meetings with committee. If committee wants to have a technical or an incamera briefing on this, please send it to us. We're more than willing to work with them on that. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
