Environment Committee on Dec. 14th, 2023

[Brad Corson]

I would say that we're clearly investigating that. It just happened recently. We would not have expected a bear den to be there. We went to great lengths to make sure we were informed whether there would be one, and that obviously failed. We had a very disappointing incident with a bear that had to be euthanized. It was very unfortunate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you.

Mr. van Koeverden is next.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Corson, you were the highest-paid CEO of a Canadian oil and gas company in 2022, yet sadly, this was not the only environmental disaster your company has been directly responsible for. Despite this, your pay nearly doubled in 2022 to $17 million. That's your personal pay. It's probably because your company posted record profits that year of over $11 billion. I might add that you did that by increasing prices for consumers.

It's obvious to me and to Canadians that there's a lot of cleaning up to do throughout the Kearl site and, more broadly, in the oil sands. It's been referred to as the largest environmental disaster in Canada. These tailings ponds pose serious risks to human and animal health. They are designed to leak, and they leak millions of litres of tailings effluent into natural systems every single year.

Mr. Corson, who should pay to clean up this environmental disaster—taxpayers, or you and your company, which is directly responsible for this contamination? Who should pay to clean up this mess and prevent future leaks and harm to human health and the environment?

[Brad Corson]

First, I take exception to your characterization that this is an environmental disaster—

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

It's not my characterization, sir. I'm not an environmentalist; I'm a politician.

[Brad Corson]

Well, the source of it—I would say that I take exception to that.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

I'm both, I guess. Thank you.

[Brad Corson]

With respect to the incident that we've been talking about, we are taking full responsibility as a company to address it, clean it up and ensure it doesn't happen again. We take full responsibility for that.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

I think responsibility is one thing, but accountability is another, Mr. Corson.

The AER was here just a couple of weeks ago. They seemed not to be accountable for these leakages. They deemed you to be responsible for the leakages and for the lack of communication to indigenous communities.

Accountability is different from responsibility. Accountability means somebody loses their job, or you change your strategy. Who has lost their job at Imperial as a result of three...?

Do you know what 5.3 million litres look like?

[Brad Corson]

Absolutely.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

How many Olympic-size swimming pools...?

[Brad Corson]

We cleaned it up.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Do you still contend that none of that water entered natural water systems like the Athabasca River, resulting in higher cancer rates in people who drink directly from it and in animals that drink directly from it?

[Brad Corson]

Absolutely. We are confident it did not get into any waterways.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Well, unfortunately, testing by third parties and others directly refutes that, sir.

[Brad Corson]

I'd be interested in seeing that data, because it conflicts with the data we have and that we've shared with the regulator and the communities.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Again, I would call into question whether you have a reverse onus or an obligation to ensure your practices aren't negatively impacting communities and the health of the upstream river.

[Brad Corson]

We have a responsibility for that. We take it very seriously.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Mr. Corson, Danielle Smith, the Premier of Alberta, has claimed that “The Alberta oil sands represent the safest”, most ethical “and cleanest fossil fuel extraction in the world.”

Do you claim this to be true, despite all the evidence we've heard today, and despite the environmental disasters Imperial has been responsible for over the last decades, with you at the helm?

[Brad Corson]

These particular incidents are a disappointment to me and our company. We've been quite forward in apologizing for them. We've been quite proactive in taking the necessary steps to clean them up. We take great pride in our industry. Having spent 40 years in this industry, working around the world, I feel quite good about the quality of these operations and their overall environmental performance. I'm quite proud of what we're doing to reduce our emissions. I'm quite proud of the steps we take to protect the environment.

We've certainly had some disappointments. That's what I've admitted, and that's what we're working to correct. However, I don't think they are fully characteristic of the whole industry and our operations in general.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

I'm glad you feel good, Mr. Corson. Canadians don't feel good about this situation. We're devastated by this situation. Frankly, it keeps people up at night. It's killing people and an entire ecosystem.

I have one final question for you, Mr. Corson.

Would you allow your family to drink water directly from the Athabasca River, as indigenous communities have for millennia?

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Go ahead, Mrs. Goodridge.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

In my series of questions, I talked about how they were vilifying. This is now getting into a space.... We've heard very clearly that the drinking water is safe. There is independent information saying that the drinking water is safe. This is getting to a point where this is absolutely—

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I don't accept that point of order. I think it is irrelevant, in the sense that Mr. van Koeverden is asking for sort of a double confirmation of the data, and I'm sure Mr. Corson can answer that.