Madam Speaker, in November I asked the Minister of the Environment to make a commitment to clean up the Marwell tar pit in Whitehorse. It has been designated a contaminated site.
Environment Canada file No. 4186-3-19 of September 1989 provided background information on the contamination on this site. It was a U.S. military refinery during World War II. It was sold and then left. There was an attempt to clean up the pit. However, a large bermed storage tank has been left there.
In 1958 Billy Smith was trapped in the pit and died of exposure because he sank into the tar. In 1970 the land was transferred to the commissioner of Yukon. Contrary to the Fisheries Act, the departmental analysis indicated that hydrocarbons, oil, grease and manganese have been released to or near fish bearing waters. The Yukon River runs almost directly through the area.
Yukon has hundreds of contaminated sites. This is just one of them. In 1994 the Yukon government asked the then ministers of the environment and northern affairs to clean up the site. These letters were acknowledged but never answered. More recently the Whitehorse mayor has asked for the clean-up.
Canada negotiated with the United States $135 million to clean up old U.S. military sites. There is also an abandoned DEW line site in Yukon as well. But this agreement does not address or resolve the mess left by the U.S. military.
Will the government commit to protecting the vulnerable northern environment and start by cleaning up the Marwell tar pit. As well there are Conal road, the Haines highway, the pipeline, abandoned airstrips and another Conal pipeline. It is very critical. The northern environment is vulnerable. It has been over 50 years. Will the federal government take its responsibility and clean up the Marwell tar pit?