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Environmental Monitoring and Self-Enforcement

Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Well, Albertans expect a government to be open and transparent, and Albertans expect answers, especially in cases of water contamination. Albertans are not getting that here in this Assembly, and the public’s right to vital information about their water has been violated. My questions are to the Minister of Environment. People living downstream from the oil sands have been subjected to oil and grease spills, to tailings ponds leaks, and inadequately treated sewage. Can the minister explain how any of these fit into his oft-repeated mantra: “That’s okay; this is a naturally occurring process”?

Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, the incident that led to this question is the matter of a case before the courts, so I cannot talk about the details specific to this. Let me be very, very clear to this member and to all members of this House. There are two separate issues that need to be dealt with. One is to advise and be sure that anyone possibly influenced by downstream is informed when an incident takes place. Whether or not charges are laid subsequent to that is something entirely different. And they were informed when the incident took place.

The Speaker: The hon. member.

Ms Blakeman: Thank you. Well, to the same minister. Yesterday the minister stated that water contamination near Calling Lake was not groundwater but, rather, surface contamination, but his department’s own press release states: high levels of chlorine in the groundwater as a result of the contamination. So which is it, Mr. Minister?

Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, this instance has to do with contamination within an industrial site. There are wells that have been ordered as part of the compliance order to determine whether there is any need for further containment and also to delineate where the contamination took place. The fact is that this is leaching from the surface. We have concern that it could perhaps get into the groundwater, but at this point there’s nothing to indicate that anything has left the property itself.

Ms Blakeman: Yeah, right, because water doesn’t flow anywhere.

Back to the same minister: given that the government’s wholehearted support of industry self-reporting is clearly resulting in significant delays in the public getting information on spills, leaks, and releases in their water sources, will the minister move immediately to a system of government monitoring and enforcement?

Mr. Renner: Mr. Speaker, it would be nice if there were sufficient resources and people to have a policeman on every corner. We don’t have that luxury, and in some cases, frankly, I’m not so sure that it would be a better world if we did. The fact of the matter is that we rely upon individuals being honest in order to maintain society. You gave the example the other day that we rely on individuals to be honest on their tax returns. We audit them from time to time, and when we find that they’re not, we come down very hard on them. When we find that people are not reporting appropriately, we come down very hard on them as well.