Evidence of meeting #89 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was boats.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5 p.m.
Administrator, Office of the Administrator of the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund
Absolutely, yes.
5 p.m.
Liberal
5 p.m.
Administrator, Office of the Administrator of the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund
Yes.
5 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
You have some really good reporting in there about the times that you as a fund were not able to recover the money, because 25% of the boat owners were unfound, unknown, or did not respond; 51% lacked financial assets, and 2% were out of the country or had fled or were away.
Those numbers—because you're one of the single agencies that have really documented this—make me concerned that the main mechanism of Bill C-64, which is to levy fines and penalties, may in fact not achieve its final goal in this case since either the owners do not have the means to pay or they cannot be found at all.
Do you share my concern?
5 p.m.
Administrator, Office of the Administrator of the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund
Well, if the goal is for the polluter to pay, which is basically the key element of the framework that I'm operating in, what we've seen in the history of the fund is that when there is insurance, there are more chances that someone will pay for the polluter, but it means the polluter pays, because the polluter buys insurance.
When you don't have any insurance in the portefeuille, it means it's very difficult to get paid. Yes, you can have a judgment against the person. You can seize his truck or try to seize his house, but very often the house or the truck will be under someone else's name. It might be difficult.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
To Mayor Heintzman of Squamish, did Squamish apply for the abandoned vessels removal program, the one that was announced this summer, and, if not, why not?
5:05 p.m.
Mayor, District of Squamish
I believe we did do it for one vessel this summer. I believe we did, but I'm not 100% sure if we ended up having to go through the process. It was dealt with sort of through that program, but it didn't have to go to the point where it cost a lot of money or became a problem, if that makes sense.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
The intake ended at Halloween, so it might not have been the same program.
5:05 p.m.
Mayor, District of Squamish
This particular incident I'm thinking about was in the summer.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
What was your experience with the program? Was it easy to navigate?
5:05 p.m.
Mayor, District of Squamish
I think it was.
My understanding, from the staff's point of view, was that it was really good. The collaboration with the federal agencies was positive, and it's growing. I think they feel like there's a relationship happening with the municipality and with Transport Canada. I think it was a positive experience, from what I understand.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
If it's possible, would you be able to let us know, as a committee, whether it was the abandoned vessels removal program that you applied to or it was another program?
5:05 p.m.
Mayor, District of Squamish
I'm pretty sure it was, but I can get back to you.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
That would be terrific.
We know that out of the goodness of their hearts a lot of Transport Canada workers and Coast Guard workers have taken these issues on and fixed problems, because they know they are huge in the absence of a program, so we are trying to pinpoint who actually did the work.
5:05 p.m.
Mayor, District of Squamish
I will make sure that my staff get back to you on that.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Ms. Heintzman, you can submit it to the clerk. This way it will be distributed to all of the members.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
To Vard Marine, I'm hoping you can table your report that was commissioned by Transport Canada, this analysis of ship breaking and recycling capacity in Canada dated March 1, 2016.
5:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Operations, Vard Marine Inc.
We would be delighted, but I'm not sure that a French translation was developed of it. We delivered it in English only. As far as we're concerned, it's paid for by taxpayers' dollars; it should be available freely to everyone.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Are any of the Transport Canada reps in the room able to identify if that is a translated documented?
Would you be able to help us get it on to the record for the committee?
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Operations, Vard Marine Inc.
We will certainly provide an electronic copy to the clerk.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
It's so on point. I think it will be a benefit to all of the committee.
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Can you characterize what you found about the state of fibreglass and recycling?
There is so much that you touched on, but maybe you can give us a few words on that.
5:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Operations, Vard Marine Inc.
As I said in an earlier answer, the problem is that nobody wants it. There are various ways of smashing it into ever smaller pieces. There are ways of pyrolysis to turn it into blocks. The efforts of recycling and the cost of recycling far outweigh the value, so somebody has to pay for it to be done.
The Europeans have this problem in an even bigger way. Landfill is so expensive in Europe, so they have to do something else. Even with the higher cost of doing nothing in Europe, it's still too expensive to turn it into a useful product.