Thank you Mr. Speaker. I have a return to oral question, asked by Mr. Picco on October 7, 1997.

Environmental Liability Inventory

The following is the information requested concerning the inventory of sites in the Northwest Territories with potential environmental liabilities.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations requested that an inventory of sites where potential environmental liabilities may exist be completed by the Financial Management Board Secretariat (FMBS). This task was undertaken by the FMBS and a report provided to both the Chairman and the Clerk of this Standing Committee on April 7, 1997.

The inventory identified 648 sites. At 624 an environmental liability exists or may exist. Based on an estimated average cost per site of $10,000 to $50,000 to conduct detailed environmental assessments to determine whether or not environmental damage exists, and the potential costs of remediation, the assessment could cost between $6 to $40 million. The actual cost of remediating or restoring these sites to their original condition is unknown and cannot be determined until the detailed environmental assessments are done.

While the Government of the Northwest Territories cannot afford to conduct these detailed assessments at this time, having developed an inventory of potential sites is a positive step.