Environment Committee on Feb. 13th, 2014

Evidence of meeting #12 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was phosphorus.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Water Quality of the Great Lakes Basin

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Chris Forbes Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch and Regional Directors General Offices, Department of the Environment

Patricia Chambers Section Head, Watershed Stressors and Nutrients, Science and Technology Branch, Department of the Environment

Michael Goffin Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Department of the Environment

Ian Campbell Director, Science Coordination Division, Science and Technology Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Jeff Moore Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy and Communications, Infrastructure Canada

Trevor Swerdfager Assistant Deputy Minister, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

David Burden Acting Regional Director General, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Patrice Simon Director, Environment and Biodiversity Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Is it reasonable to assume that it's below the water table?

5:05 p.m.

Acting Regional Director General, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

David Burden

That's beyond my expertise.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Okay.

In the possibility that we have extreme weather events—and we are having them. We can't mention the term “climate change” around here, but in extreme weather events, it's maybe not unreasonable to assume....

Even this winter there has been a massive amount of snow. There may well be a pretty significant thaw very quickly, and you might have a flood.

If you had a flood in that area, how would it impact on the storage of this nuclear waste?

5:05 p.m.

Acting Regional Director General, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

David Burden

That's beyond our mandate and our area of expertise to discuss today.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

It is an issue that comes up pretty regularly, I have to say.

You also made a curious comment about zebra mussels helping with water clarity but contributing to algae. How does that work?

5:05 p.m.

Acting Regional Director General, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

David Burden

Patrice is probably a better person to answer this question, but I will say that we see water clarity improve, basically because they're out-competing the native species in the watershed. As a result of that, you have the excrement, I guess, from these zebra and quagga mussels, which is producing more protein or phosphorus-type products, and that enhances the growth of algae blooms.

Do you want to add to that, Patrice?

5:05 p.m.

Patrice Simon Director, Environment and Biodiversity Science, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

No, I think that's good, Dave.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Even though they kind of attach themselves to the sewer pipes, water pipes, or whatever else goes into the Great Lakes system, their excrement actually contributes too.

5:05 p.m.

Acting Regional Director General, Department of Fisheries and Oceans

David Burden

Yes.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

That's kind of interesting.

Dr. Campbell—

5:05 p.m.

Conservative