Mr. Speaker, the environment was the big winner last Friday when a Washington state regulatory body recommended against the Sumas Energy 2 power plant proposal.
Thanks to the hard work of Canadians and Americans alike, the message came through loud and clear that the public does not want a power plant built on the edge of the Fraser Valley, Canada's second most polluted air shed.
The regulator's recommendation, however, is only a roadblock and not the end of the road for the SE2 project. The Washington governor now has the final say on whether the proposal can go ahead. It is no longer an environmental decision. That has been resolved. It is now a political decision.
The situation boils down to this. There are no further environmental hearings planned in the United States. There are no National Energy Board meetings planned because they have now been suspended in Canada. The studies are over. The hearings are finished. It is now a political decision and the governor of Washington will make that decision soon.
The question is, will the Minister of the Environment finally stop talking about process and reports and now tell Governor Locke, in the strongest terms possible, that Canada opposes the SE2 project?