Thank you, Mr. Henry. Mr. Kakfwi.
Debates of April 29th, 1999
This is page numbers 431 - 469 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 7th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you. The surface lands were transferred some years ago. We are not exactly sure what year, but we became responsible for the surface lands at a particular year some time ago, and that is where it flowed from. The legislative responsibility flows from our Environmental Protection Act, which largely applies to the surface lands. Thank you.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Can I assume then that when the Government of the Northwest Territories assumed the responsibility for that subsurface activity, that they assumed all the liabilities of past years when it was a federal responsibility? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I believe the Member meant to say surface and not subsurface. All subsurface remains the property and responsibility of the federal government including all operations to do with water. The Government of the Northwest Territories generally deals with all surface lands, lands that are deemed to be Commissioner's Lands. Thank you.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson, and I thank the Minister for correcting that error. For greater certainly then, and I believe the Minister has alluded to it earlier but for greater certainly, he is saying that it is the federal government who is responsible for the cleanup of the subsurface contaminants particularly related to Giant Mine? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Madam Chairperson, the liability for the operations of the mine, the mine environmental liability on the surface and subsurface in regard to the water licence under which Giant operates is the responsibility of the owner of Giant Mine, so it is the responsibility of the private sector. It would, as I understand, will become our responsibility to assume the environmental liability for the surface cleanup only in the event that there became no owner or there was a bankruptcy or total abandonment of that mine by the private sector. The federal government would then, I believe, have to assume responsibility for the environmental liability of the subsurface.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Seamus Henry Yellowknife South
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I will have further questions as we go along. Thank you.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
We are on page 11-13, Environmental Protection, operations and maintenance, $1.3 million. Agreed?
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
April 28th, 1999
Page 455
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you. Environmental Protection grants and contributions. Contributions, $205,000. Agreed?
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you. Environmental Protection, details of capital, land and buildings, headquarters region. Total headquarters region, $400,000. Agreed?
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Other equipment, headquarters region. Total headquarters region, $10,000. Agreed?
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 25-13(7): Resurrecting And Priorizing The Northern Accord Proposal
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 455