Environment Committee on April 21st, 2009

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Interesting.

[Scott Vaughan]

It would list all the provinces in terms of which ones have adopted all the guidelines and which ones have adopted some of the guidelines. It's not something we would continually monitor, but there is a federal-provincial committee in place for drinking water standards.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Are there any citizens on that?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you.

Mr. Warawa, this is the last round. The last question goes to you.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Again, Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Arseneault, and Mr. Morse, thank you for being here. It's good news. The government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also to clean the water we drink and the air we breathe. You provided a report, an audit, that we're making satisfactory progress.

I've got one quick question on the air quality index. How is that going to be implemented in such a way that Canadians are going to be able to benefit from that? When we watch the weather channel—I often do, and a lot of Canadians do to find out what the weather is going to be like, what the UV index is going to be, whether we have to worry about a sunburn, and there are pollen alerts too in the spring—are we also going to be seeing air quality index on that, on the news, on the weather? You said the pilot projects are over now, and it's all to benefit Canadians. Is that how we're going to see this implemented so it will benefit Canadians?

[Scott Vaughan]

Thank you for the question.

I think that's the plan of the government, to roll this out across Canada. I think the model they looked at is exactly like the UV index. That's something. Imagine 20 years ago if somebody said they're rolling out an index where people would actually be informed enough to make decisions about whether they wanted to go out because of levels of UV. People would have said, no, no, they'd leave it to the experts. I think now there's a growing sense of literacy among all Canadians as we watch the weather and care about the weather. The idea is to take the similar model of the UV index and make it equally understandable and accessible, so people can make their own decisions about whether they want to go out and do exercise or whether they want to take it more easy, if it's high and there's a high smog day. That's the idea, to leave it to the judgment of individual Canadians, and the more they become aware of it, the more they will use it.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

In your report you said that one of the provinces was not participating. Which province is that?

[Scott Vaughan]

It's the Province of Alberta.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Thank you.

Mr. Woodworth had a couple of questions.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you. I'm a little unsure, after listening to Ms. Duncan's questions and her comments, that the federal government is not monitoring. The way I understood these pilot projects and the program was that the federal government, either alone or in conjunction with the provinces, is not only providing the index but also monitoring and reporting. Can you shed any light on that for me? Am I right or not?

[Scott Vaughan]

To answer that very quickly, there are national systems in place from the Meteorological Service of Canada under which there are 700 different monitoring stations across Canada. Those are in both rural areas and urban areas. There's greater concentration and monitoring in urban areas, but there's coverage in rural areas as well. Those collect data on pollutants, criteria pollutants, levels of greenhouse gas emissions, and others. So it's a complicated network.

In terms of the AQHI, the pilots have finished. The rollout is across Canada. The first stage to 2011 is to get at the communities of 100,000 and over. My understanding from the department is that after that first stage is finished, they want to go to fuller coverage, including rural areas.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Just so I understand, that includes not just setting up the index but also doing the monitoring. Is that correct?

[Scott Vaughan]

The monitoring is done by the federal government, but the provinces also have systems in place to provide information on the monitoring systems.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Regarding the next piece, the rural communities, can you give me any sense of the anticipated cost of rolling that out to the rural areas that will not be covered under the existing plans?

[Scott Vaughan]

No. I wish I could, sir. That's something you may want to ask the department. In the report, we've noted that this is something that needs to be addressed, because the government has not yet provided coverage of the rural areas, which in our view is something that remains to be done.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

So when you make a recommendation like that, or a suggestion, you don't cost it out?

[Scott Vaughan]

We noted there was some further work to be done, but because it was not a recommendation, the department did not have an obligation to respond.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you.

[Scott Vaughan]

If they're launching a program, they have to cost it.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Right.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

Thank you very much, Mr. Woodworth. Your time has expired. I know it goes by when you've having fun.

I want to thank you, Commissioner Vaughan, Mr. Morse, and Mr. Arseneault, for your participation today and for giving us this very fulsome briefing. I think it was very worthwhile. You are dismissed, and we look forward to your report on May 12.

With that, we will now go to committee motions.

Before we get to Ms. Duncan's motion, I first want to deal with some housekeeping here. A motion that the committee approve the operational budget for the amount of $26,250 for the study of the statutory review of the Species at Risk Act was circulated. Could I have somebody move that motion, please?

Mr. Calkins moves it.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

The second motion is that the committee approve the operational budget for the amount of $33,000 for its study of the oil sands and Canada's water resources. This is operational, not travel-related. The travel budget has already been approved. Could we have a mover, please?

It is moved by Ms. Duncan.

Do you have a question, Mr. Bigras?

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

I would like to know what that $33,000 will be used for. Is it intended for the witnesses?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Bezan]

It's for witnesses to appear at committee.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

All right.