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Evidence of meeting #58 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was trust.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #58 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was trust.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
—and by the lack of communication. More than just what's in those existing agreements and the communications that have been used in the past, I feel that there has to be a more fundamental re-look at how first nations are consulted—the duty to consult—and how they are involved in the process as these decisions are being made, including with the water.
I would like to pass my time now to Ms. May, who had a question as well.
Green
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Thank you very much.
Thank you to Leah Taylor Roy.
Look, Mr. Corson, I'm going to try to put to you, given how short my time is, some facts, and then ask you a question.
You've stated that Imperial Oil has a “commitment” and it has a “principle”. I think you used that word. You used the words that the “core principle” at Imperial Oil is respect for the environment. I put it to you that Imperial Oil and its parent company, Exxon, were some of the most prominent companies in the fossil fuels sector in denying that climate change was a problem. Your predecessor, Robert Peterson, CEO until 2002, continued to say carbon dioxide was good for the environment.
We've known since 2006 that indigenous peoples living near your operations and the whole oil sands sector have had elevated levels of rare and fatal cancers. We've known that fact since 2006, and in 2008 we had the first published scientific papers that the toxic materials from the tailings ponds were getting into the Athabasca River. This is not new information. The corporate record of your company and of your industry is one that doesn't reflect any kind of principle of respect for the environment or human health.
Chief Tuccaro was here on Monday, and you heard him say it: that the sector, and I suppose the regulator as well, have put profits ahead of people.
I just have one question: How do you sleep at night?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
It's a question, but I'm not expecting an expansive answer, because we're well over time. Maybe—I don't know—Mr. Corson, take 10 seconds to answer that.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Oil Limited
Well, Mr. Chair, I mean, I take these situations very seriously. We have work to do here. I am committed to ensuring this sort of incident does not happen again. I want to improve our trust with these communities.
More broadly, I am proud of what the company is doing as it relates more broadly to the impacts of climate change. We are a founding member of the pathways for net zero alliance in the oil sands, and we're going to continue that endeavour to support Canada's commitment to net zero by 2050.
Green
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
We're going into the last round.
In order to land on time, I'm going to reduce everyone's time by 25% proportionally.
Is it Ms. Goodridge? No?
We'll have Mr. Kurek for four minutes, please.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Well, I'll do it this time, but I'm not going to be in the habit of banking people's time. It's a little too complicated for somebody like me to handle.
Go head, Mr. Kurek.
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Thank you, Chair.
I'm going to try to get to a number of questions, but just to clarify so we're crystal clear, in the communities that were affected, has there been an impact on the quality of their drinking water related to what happened at Kearl?
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Just to be clear as well, there has been extensive testing to ensure that this has been the case.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Oil Limited
That's correct.
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Okay. Thank you. I know it's been talked about in somewhat of a roundabout way. I just wanted to make sure that it was very clear.
Mr. Corson, I mentioned earlier the area that I represent. It's several hundred kilometres south of where these areas are. The impact benefit agreements that are signed with many first nations and Métis groups in the area were referenced in the meeting on Monday. There's not much detail in terms of what was provided. I think there are some reasons for that. Sometimes there are those agreements concerning Métis versus those with first nations, which are under section 35 of the Constitution.
I'm just curious if you can outline a little bit about the engagement with first nations in ensuring that there are benefits to them and their people and the individuals who are in the area in terms of what happens with development with regard to Imperial Oil.
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Oil Limited
Yes. Thanks for the question.
I'm going to ask Helga to respond to that, because she is directly involved in establishing those benefit agreements.
Manager, Environment, Regulatory and Socioeconomic, Imperial Oil Limited
I can't speak to the content of the agreements themselves because they are confidential business arrangements. If you look at the ESTMA reporting that we provide to government, you would see that in terms of fees and things that are associated with these agreements, it totals about $16 million a year for these communities, the seven collectively.
I think what's probably more important is that, collectively, businesses that are associated with these seven communities earned revenues of over $500 million from the Kearl operation in the year. In fact, as a company we did about $761 million of goods and services last year with indigenous communities.
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Perhaps I can ask a few more details on that, because I know some companies in my constituency do work in the Fort Mac area, some of which have indigenous employees and indigenous ownership. I'm just curious. You're talking about $500 million in contracts to companies that are directly related with the seven communities that we're talking about here today. Can you clarify that that is in fact the case?
Manager, Environment, Regulatory and Socioeconomic, Imperial Oil Limited
That's correct.
Conservative
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Okay.
In terms of engagement in the processes to come to those agreements, I'm just curious, because there have been some questions asked, rightfully so, around engagement related to a problem. Can you expand on how these communities can trust that the engagement and the process in which that was undertaken when it comes to these benefit agreements was...?