Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to follow up on the proposed Bill 13, An Act to Amend the Commissioner’s Land Act. Following committee review of the bill, including a public hearing with submissions, the bill was sent back for further amendment to correct a crucial deficiency. The issue was specific: the act must be amended to include a requirement for financial security adequate to cover the cost of abandonment and remediation of industrial and commercial sites throughout the full phases of development, operation, and closure.
Any one of us could rattle off a list of the cases that have taught us this harsh lesson: Giant Mine, Rayrock, DEW line sites, Colomac. The list goes on and on. On lands under territorial control, examples include the $23 million and annual ongoing liability left to the GNWT for the Giant Mine remediation; up to a million dollars to clean up the abandoned Treminco Ptarmigan Mine property on the Ingraham Trail; and the potential for millions more dollars for the Norman Wells project and pipeline cleanup.
The taxpayers have had enough of this and the environment can’t take it. The solution is simple and can be easily achieved. As a priority in the next session, we need to approve a legislative amendment that lays out the specific conditions for the posting of financial security, together with amendments providing for the mandatory writing of regulations.
The delay is frustrating and possibly costly. The committee has been working on this since the legislative proposal a year ago. However, we need to get this done and I have to say that I am pleased by the Minister’s commitment to incorporate this essential feature beginning this fall.
When use of the NWT land is granted, the government is acting in trust. In carrying out this trust, government’s decision must be based upon sound risk management, environmental stewardship, and full cost accounting. The taxpayers and environment have had enough of the resources of tomorrow paying for the mistakes of today.
Again, I am very pleased with the Minister’s commitment to address this crucial need. I urge prompt action to bring this forward in the fall so that we can close this gap as soon as possible.