Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a legacy of Yellowknife's gold mining history over the last six decades has been the production of arsenic trioxide and the adverse health risks that accompany this industry. Yellowknife residents have had concerns about arsenic levels in the city for many years, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to note that progress is being made on how to manage this serious issue.

I would like to recognize the ongoing work of the Yellowknife Arsenic Soil Remediation Committee, sometimes known as YASRC. It is a coalition, Mr. Speaker, of all levels of government, community, aboriginal and mining groups whose task is to determine at what point arsenic levels pose real threats to our public health and environment.

The other day in this House, the Minister for RWED noted that the improvement in air quality in the city has greatly improved now that the Giant roaster has ceased operation. This is good news. In fact, at the May public meeting hosted by YASRC, it was underlined that in regard to arsenic levels, the drinking water in the city of Yellowknife is not a problem, and ambient air levels are also not a problem.

This committee has retained Canada's leading expert in the field to determine the health risks from arsenic around the city and develop soil remediation guidelines for use for residential, recreational and industrial land uses. In fact, according to the committee, guidelines will be presented to the public in September, Mr. Speaker.

Yellowknife MLAs have continued to draw to the attention of the federal government its obligation at the Giant Mine for the immense problem of some 265,000 tons of arsenic trioxide stored underground there. There is still a long way to go in this process. The federal government has identified resources to advance the planning and this is a positive step, not only for Giant, but for dealing with the environmental issues at Colomac as well.

Next week, stakeholders will be meeting to consider the approach for managing the arsenic problem at Giant Mine. Stakeholders and the public have a vital interest in what is going on. I compliment the governments and the stakeholders for opening the process to the general public.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the efforts of these officials. We must keep in mind the federal government has been the major beneficiary of the development of our resources. It is their obligation to ultimately manage this environmental hazard. We must consider continuing to seek long-term commitment of federal resources to implement a permanent solution that addresses the arsenic problem to the satisfaction of residents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

-- Applause