Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 21-12(3), asked by Mr. Pudluk to the Minister of Renewable Resources, concerning the disposal of DEW Line site and PanArctic oil garbage.
The best method for disposal of industrial garbage depends on many factors, such as type of soil, type of garbage and community concerns.
Final approvals by the Government of Canada for the disposal of industrial garbage by the Department of National Defence and PanArctic Oil have not yet been given. In each case, government and community consultations are continuing in an attempt to determine the best environmentally acceptable disposal methods.
In the specific case of PanArctic Oil, the company has not proposed land burial as a method of waste disposal at their Lougheed Island site because of the high ice content of the soils. If the garbage were buried in these soils, the freezing and thawing action would eventually cause the garbage to rise back out of the ground. The other option for burial is to use gravel, however, this material is not available on Lougheed Island. In the case of the DEW Line sites, burial is an option at some sites because of the type of local soil and because most sites are located near sources of gravel which can be used to bury the garbage.
The Government of the Northwest Territories is continuing to provide advice to the appropriate federal regulatory agency in each case.