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.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht
All right. Some of them are related.
Move ahead, Mr. Choquette.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
What I was saying was that Mr. Forbes mentioned climate change, but our study does not address that issue, as the chair so clearly pointed out. If our intention is to undertake a serious study of the Great Lakes, it has to cover the right parameters. And for that reason, I would like to move the following motion:
That the Committee commence a study on the Great Lakes, to consider the impact of climate change on water levels, temperature and ecology.
I will explain the reasons for my motion.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Actually, I was going to speak to the reasons I proposed the motion.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht
Okay. We're going to deal with the motion. The motion is on the floor.
Could we read the motion? It's motion number three in the list that Mr. Choquette presented earlier.
Is there debate on the motion?
Mr. Carrie.
Conservative
Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON
Because we're doing committee business, I move that we go in camera for this motion.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht
On the motion to have the committee move in camera to consider—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht
The clerk will record the vote.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 5; nays 4)
[Proceedings continue in camera]
[Public proceedings resume]
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Harold Albrecht
We welcome our witnesses back.
We'll proceed from where we were. We have five minutes left in Mr. Choquette's round of questions.
Mr. Choquette.
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am going to give Mr. Bevington the rest of my time.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and to the witnesses, thanks.
My expertise in water lies more on the Slave River and the lakes of northern Canada, so I'm curious about a number of things.
How much impact does air pollution play in the system these days?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy Branch and Regional Directors General Offices, Department of the Environment
I'll turn that to Mike or Patricia in terms of air pollution.
Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Department of the Environment
The long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants is still an issue globally.
For Lake Superior in the north where there aren't a lot of local sources, it still accounts for a significant contribution of some chemicals. Overall the good news is that in the last 30 years the concentrations of most of the persistent toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes have been reduced by 80% to 90%, so we're seeing large decreases in chemicals in the Great Lakes.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
What indicator species do you use? Do you use indicator species for those types of concentrations?
Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Department of the Environment
We use direct water quality monitoring. We have a fish contaminant program in the Great Lakes where we collect fish in both Canada and the United States from all lakes and analyze accumulation in fish. We have herring gull monitoring, which is now being used out west to monitor some of the developments out west.
Patricia might know of some others.
Section Head, Watershed Stressors and Nutrients, Science and Technology Branch, Department of the Environment
I was simply going to say that we have two what we call master stations for atmospheric deposition monitoring, and maybe eight or ten others around the edge of the lake and in the watershed. Those are paralleled by similar stations on the U.S. side so that we have good estimates of atmospheric deposition.
Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Department of the Environment
You asked about indicator species. The one indicator species that we do watch is the bald eagle. Bald eagles were not present in the Great Lakes basin for a number of years, largely because of the contaminants in the lakes. They've returned to most of the lake basins now.
Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Department of the Environment
We certainly look at fish. We look at whole fish, fish parts, and edible portions of fish.
