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Turner Valley Gas Plant

Ms Blakeman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1988 the Alberta government bought the Turner Valley gas plant for its historical significance. However, they have ignored the very real problem of the plant contaminating water sources. Citizens have had to struggle with the government to take real action for years, and they are here today looking for answers. My questions are to the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. Government documents state that the ministry has accepted responsibility for the historical preservation of the site and also responsibility for the cleanup, so why has the government abdicated its responsibility to ensure proper cleanup of the site to residential parkland standards?

Mr. Blackett: Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member has mentioned, we did take responsibility under Culture and Community Spirit for remediation of the site. We spent over $11 million to ensure that there was a membrane and a boundary put in to make sure that no contaminants were exposed to the Sheep River. We have remediated the site in parts to residential standards and in some to industrial standards. The residential standards are for those areas that people will be walking through. It hasn’t been determined what we’re going to do with the site in its complexity. Right now, until we make a decision, we’re not going to go and spend an untold amount of dollars to make sure that we remediate that to a residential site if it’s not prudent.

Ms Blakeman: Well, back to the same minister: how long are these residents expected to wait while the department figures all of this out? When are you going to make a decision and implement an actual plan that will help the people living there?

Mr. Blackett: Well, Mr. Speaker, it’s amazing. The hon. Member should know that right now we’re in tough economic times not only in Canada but throughout the world. It’s prudent right now to see where we’re going forward as a government to determine what our priorities are on expenditures. We have made sure that the site is safe and that the site is contained. When we are in a position to be able to go forward, if we’re able to go forward, then we’ll make that decision.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Ms Blakeman: Thanks very much. Well, my next question, then, will be to the Minister of Energy. How on earth, if the government cannot even clean up one little historical site after 21 years, can anybody believe that the government would be capable of cleaning up the oil sands or a tailings pond or a strip mine or an abandoned well or anything else? How can we possibly take you seriously when you can’t even clean up one little historical site?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Mr. Knight: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You know, Albertans can see the difference between a plan that the Alberta government has put together cross ministry – SRD, Environment, Energy, and others in this government – to address environmental issues that we have relative to our production. Albertans can see the difference between a positive plan like that and some rhetoric that’s hyped by somebody that wants to create an issue that isn’t there.