Environment Committee on Feb. 6th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you.

We'll go now to Mr. van Koeverden.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thanks to the witnesses for joining us today. Again, I apologize for the disruptions you've had to endure.

Today my question will be for Ms. Rougeot from Environmental Defence.

I would like to thank you for sharing your expertise based on Ms. Collins' question regarding PFAS. I also won't do the long version of PFAS any justice by trying to pronounce that. I do know that they're “forever chemicals” and they're found in many plastics and a variety of products we use every single day, which is a challenging thing to wrap your head around, given how potentially harmful they are.

The federal government is going to go to court and defend our decision to ban some single-use plastics. In this committee and in the House of Commons, we've seen Conservatives rejoice and do backflips over the fact that the court has questioned our ability to ban those. In fact, one Conservative member from Ontario called the ban an “evil trick” by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. We've had members in this committee also question the legitimacy of a plastics ban. I'd note that earlier there was an intervention from one such member who had never heard of PFAS. Therefore, before we go on to ridicule each other on the basis of—

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Which member did a backflip? Can we get clarity?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

That's not a point of order.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

I'll move on.

Again, the government passed Bill S-5. It enshrined in law, for the first time, the right to a healthy environment, which is a great step forward. There will be consultations opening on this over the next couple of days, along with separate consultations that will open regarding engaging Canadians on environmental justice and racism. This is important.

I apologize if you can't hear my questions over the noise from the other side.

I'm sure you're aware that Canadians care about the environment. Pollution does not impact all Canadians equally. In fact, it disproportionally impacts communities that are poor and racialized more than others. PFAS are just one example of a pollutant where this can be observed.

I'd like to give you a chance to finish your answer to the question that Ms. Collins raised. I would like to ensure that we're all aware of this upcoming consultation, which will inform the government's approach on this matter.

If either of our in-person guests would like to speak to the importance of limiting PFAS in our environment, I think it would be valuable for this study.

Thank you.

[Aliénor Rougeot]

I'll be brief on PFAS. I'll make sure my colleagues who are following the file more closely follow up with you.

We are very supportive of the government appealing the decision on plastics. It's very important for us that plastics are no longer in our waterways or bodies, especially when it comes to children, who are extremely exposed.

You mentioned CEPA and Bill S-5. There is a tool when it comes to the tailings ponds under CEPA that we could be using to better protect the communities that are impacted. As you pointed out, in this specific case, they are racialized and indigenous communities. The Minister of Environment could choose to do a risk assessment of substances of concern in the tailings. One of them is naphthenic acid. It's extremely concerning, and the main source of toxicity in the tailings. We'd really encourage this to be considered. It has long been mentioned, and no risk assessment has ever been done. We hope it's a concrete follow-up action to this study.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you, Ms. Rougeot.

Madame Larocque, do you have anything to add on PFAS, or a single-use plastics ban and the impact on groundwater?

[Prof. Marie Larocque]

No, I have nothing to add.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Okay.

I'll cede the rest of my time, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Right.

That brings our discussion with the first group of witnesses to an end.

Thank you to our witnesses. If you have anything to add to improve our knowledge, please don't hesitate to send it to us in writing. The documents you provide will be distributed to all committee members in both official languages.

We are going to take a short break for the second group of witnesses to get settled.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Resuming the meeting.

For the second group, we have three witnesses with us by videoconference: Professor Beth Parker, from Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute; Mike Wei, who is an engineer; and Jillian Brown, who is the executive director of Irrigation Saskatchewan.

If you don't mind, we'll start with you, Dr. Parker, for five minutes.

We'll then go to Mr. Wei and Ms. Brown.

Go ahead, please.

[Beth Parker, Professor, Morwick G360 Groundwater Research Institute, As an Individual]

Thank you.

Good evening, Mr. Chairman and committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today and join the conversation regarding fresh water and sustainability.

I am a hydrogeologist, and I have spent the past 27 years as a professor—currently at the University of Guelph in water resources engineering, and previously at the University of Waterloo in earth sciences—engaged in teaching and field-based research on groundwater flow systems and the behaviour of contaminants. I work with contaminated site owners and municipalities to design and build groundwater monitoring networks to inform remediation and source water protection strategies in real-world settings.

Groundwater constitutes 99% of the earth’s liquid fresh water, serves as an important link among atmosphere, soils, and surface water, and is key to freshwater resilience under climate change. Groundwater can buffer climate extremes and is therefore the most reliable source of fresh water for drinking water, sanitation and agriculture. Freshwater and ecosystem sustainability is ultimately linked to both groundwater quantity and quality issues.

It is commonly referenced that only 30% of Canadians rely directly on groundwater for water supply, including rural, remote and indigenous populations. However, two-thirds of surface water is sustained by groundwater discharge. Thus, when we account for the contribution of groundwater to surface water, groundwater is then responsible for 75% of the domestic water supply in the Canadian context, so when we're thinking about fresh water, we should be talking about groundwater.

Despite the critical importance of groundwater for the environment and society, it is undervalued, misunderstood, mismanaged and often ignored at the policy level. The new Canada water agency is mandated to “improve freshwater management in Canada”. However, its home page mentions the word “river” six times and the word “lake” nine times. There is not one mention of groundwater.

As a hydrogeologist working on contamination, I have spent my career studying human impacts on groundwater. Whether it is the intentional disposal of waste or a result of accidental leaks or spills, groundwater is a common receptor of contaminants. Since groundwater is invisible and moves much more slowly than surface water, it can take decades to discover groundwater contamination, disassociating cause from effect.

We continue to discover new contamination due to human activities occurring decades ago. Recent examples include high nutrient loading from groundwater discharge causing continual algal blooms in Lake Erie and Lake Simcoe, and the discoveries of PFAS and microplastics nearly everywhere.

Since groundwater contamination is slow to remediate, adverse water quality impacts are persistent and cumulative. With the future livelihoods of Canadians at stake, what actions are needed to improve our relationship with groundwater and freshwater resources as a whole?

Among other things, we must act now to increase publicly funded groundwater monitoring systems to holistically understand our shallow and deeper groundwater sheds. Current monitoring systems in Canada are inadequate in representing the dynamic character and complexity of the hydrologic system, especially the groundwater component. The standard practice in groundwater characterization and monitoring is old-fashioned relative to the available technology. Advanced monitoring and modelling tools—many made in Canada—are commercially available, yet they remain underused.

Groundwater expertise in Canada is waning due to retirements and a lack of younger generations entering the profession to take over these leadership roles. Geoscience and water resource engineering programs at Canadian universities are underpopulated. We need increased investment in training new Canadian expertise and research. This gap in expertise is happening at a time when climate change, increasing demand for food and energy production, and natural resource extraction are creating a global water crisis. Groundwater is at the very heart of this crisis.

Our demands for fresh water are now reaching the limits of the natural system. A commitment to changing our habits and improving water monitoring systems, especially groundwater, is needed to understand these limits and operate within them.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you very much, Dr. Parker.

We'll now go to Mr. Wei, please, for five minutes.

[Mike Wei, Professional Engineer, As an Individual]

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

All of my professional experience has been in British Columbia, where I live, so it's from that perspective that I speak to you.

It wasn't until 2016 that B.C. began licensing groundwater use—decades after other Canadian jurisdictions. Historical investment in groundwater science and monitoring has thus been minimal and insufficient to provide the scientific understanding needed to support the depth of decision-making required today. B.C. is in catch-up mode.

Going forward, British Columbia faces enormous pressures in land and natural resource development, population growth and the water needed to support that. At the same time, B.C. needs to reconcile with indigenous nations in unceded territory. B.C. will also suffer from year-to-year province-wide drought and limits to surface and groundwater supplies. We'll need to address the significant lack of public confidence in how water is managed. All of the above will negatively impact sustainable development in British Columbia and in Canada.

Licensing of groundwater use provides a legal framework, as well as an opportunity to achieve environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, food security and reconciliation with indigenous nations. However, a significant and sustained investment, including investment from the Government of Canada, is needed to achieve this.

The following are recommendations for your consideration.

Increase federal investment and collaboration to support water science, monitoring and planning for B.C., local governments and indigenous nations; to support water infrastructure funding for small, rural farmers and business owners to enable them to withstand chronic water shortages and keep business going—for example, by increasing water storage during drier times of the year; and to support water education initiatives in collaboration with other levels of government to help strengthen meaningful public participation in planning and decision-making processes.

Improve the working relationship between Canada and British Columbia in groundwater so that it recognizes the unique nature of B.C.'s hydrogeology, water supply limits, legislation and operating conditions. Strong and fearless leadership from Canada, as well as from B.C., is required in this endeavour.

Related to the last point, federal responsibility for water science and water infrastructure is scattered in different agencies and appears uncoordinated with provincial efforts. Reviewing ways to consolidate it where it makes sense and improve current methods of seeking meaningful provincial input and collaboration would help.

I am convinced, based on my public service experience in B.C., that when governments treat groundwater not just as a crisis issue but more as a valuable resource—i.e., as a sustained priority—trust, reconciliation and sustainable development will follow.

If you want to discuss this further, please don't hesitate to contact me or ask me questions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you very much, Mr. Wei.

I will go now to Ms. Brown for five minutes.

[Jillian Brown, Executive Director, Irrigation Saskatchewan]

Good afternoon, members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.

As mentioned, my name is Jillian Brown, and I represent the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association. As an organization, we sincerely appreciate the committee's recognition of the need to consider Saskatchewan irrigation in this discussion.

In my comments today, I'd like to highlight our industry's recognition of the importance of surface water sustainability and share with you a few features of irrigation that are not always considered. I'll comment on conditions of drought in Saskatchewan over this past year, substantial opportunities being lost for Canada with continued delays in development of the Lake Diefenbaker irrigation expansion project and, most importantly, the role of irrigators in solution building. I'll also highlight the critical role that the federal partnership with Saskatchewan plays in this context.

Saskatchewan irrigators and our stakeholders are focused on working proactively and collaboratively on solutions that meet the needs of managing water and food sustainability. Water-scheduling research, adoption and exploration of water-efficient technologies such as subsurface and drip irrigation, as well as high-efficiency nozzle and pivot advancements, and participation in engagement sessions with other water users are all examples of ongoing actions in Saskatchewan today by irrigators.

In addition to yield gains driving business, jobs and community sustainability, irrigation has environmental outcomes that are not always front of mind for those who are not producers. As highlighted by the academic community in journals such as Global Change Biology, Canadian Journal of Soil Science, and Agronomy for Sustainable Development, irrigation has been shown to provide producers with greater options to manage their crop rotations, meaning improved soil health and improved soil water use efficiency. In addition, irrigation is a practice that has been shown to increase soil carbon sequestration by 11% to 35% on average in semi-arid regions of Canada. No other agricultural technology provides the same land use efficiency increases as irrigation.

Despite these features, Saskatchewan still lacks sufficient infrastructure capacity to increase irrigation, and the results have meant considerable hardship to communities and costs to government.

In 2023 in Saskatchewan, there were more than 50 rural municipalities declaring agricultural state of emergency due to drought, which contributed to the nearly $2.5 billion in estimated crop insurance payouts for the year, which, as you know, is a significant tax burden to the Canadian taxpayer.

At the same time that this drought and crop loss was occurring, Lake Diefenbaker, the largest reservoir in Saskatchewan, saw more water leave from it in evaporation than from irrigation. Today, Lake Diefenbaker is one of the world's largest underutilized reservoirs, with an original yet unrealized design capacity available to irrigate more than 400,000 additional acres of cropland in the province.

To provide context, even at full buildout, if every acre of the 400,000 potential acres was developed into irrigated land, this would take four feet of water off the top of the reservoir, which has a mean depth of 22 meters.

Seeing the potential of Lake Diefenbaker be reached and Canadians capture these gains requires provincial and federal co-operative leadership and vision that just hasn't been possible since the reservoir was filled in 1967. Progress on Lake Diefenbaker is a real opportunity to take environmentally sustainable action to support national food security.

In conclusion, partnership between the federal and provincial governments to support irrigation development is vital for achieving both agricultural productivity and environmental and climate resiliency, which are both absolutely necessary for Canada. Saskatchewan currently has a vast amount of unutilized potential for solutions in this space that offers monumental opportunity.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I'm happy to take any questions or support further discussion.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you very much.

We'll go now to Mr. Kram for six minutes.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today.

I think most of my questions will be for Ms. Brown of the Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association.

Ms. Brown, you talked about how irrigation has benefits regarding soil carbon sequestration. Could you elaborate on what soil carbon sequestration is and how irrigation can be beneficial?

[Jillian Brown]

Yes, absolutely. If you think about an additional yield that's added to a crop, as well as crop strength and crop residue and the added benefits that this applies to soil health and the capacity for soil carbon sequestration, these are all tied together.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Are you aware of any federal or provincial government programs that are currently promoting this practice, through the lens of soil carbon sequestration? Is sequestering more carbon in the soil the explicit goal of any particular program?

[Jillian Brown]

Not that I'm aware of. That's why I mentioned it. It's not often something that we immediately think of when we think about irrigation, that there is an environmental aspect that really should be considered.

Really, it comes down to the tools that our producers have in their tool kit to make the best decisions. Irrigation allows the producer to bring on the best crop rotation that's going to allow him to maximize his soil health.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Okay.

Maybe I should put it this way. The different levels of government have all sorts of carbon emissions goals and carbon reduction goals. Is the sequestration of carbon in the soil counted in any way in our climate change goals or emissions reduction targets that you're aware of?

[Jillian Brown]

Not that I'm aware of.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Do you know why that is not being done?

[Jillian Brown]

I absolutely do not. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'm the best person to answer that question, not being a specialist in the agronomics component of this, as far as climate modelling and programming with regard to soil sequestration are concerned.