David Anderson

[Environment, March 31st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where the hon. member has been. It is well known from the questions that were replied to yesterday, both in the press and also in the House, that the shipment in question cannot go to the facility at Kirkland Lake as originally proposed. That was the decision of the Ontario government. It is there and it is clear for everyone to see.

It is also well known that we do not have a desire to import this waste into Canada. We obviously will not import this waste into Canada unless there is a location to which it can be sent for proper disposal in accordance with all Canadian environmental requirements.

[Environment, March 31st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the new CEPA builds on the authority that we have to issue regulations on the export and import of hazardous waste, including hazardous recyclable materials. Specifically, we also have the power under the CEPA for the import and export of prescribed non-hazardous waste and, in addition, we have the ability to develop more stringent criteria to assess the environmentally sound management of transboundary waste between provinces, as well as to refuse permits for import or export if criteria are not met.

[Fisheries, March 31st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I find it astonishing that a member who represents a fishing area should be so misinformed about departmental policy. The policy has been put forward time after time. It is very clear. There will be some acquisition of licences to facilitate access by aboriginal people to the fishery. The issue of expropriation has never, never come up.

[Fisheries, March 31st, 2000]

No, Mr. Speaker.

[Environment, March 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is perhaps unaware that we have altered the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which was brought into force in 1992. We had a review of it, which took many years. We now have the revised act coming into effect, which will improve substantially on the previous regime of the last century. I look forward to being able to deal with shipments such as this effectively under the new legislation.

[Environment, March 30th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Ontario, as the member correctly points out, yesterday indicated that it would not accept this waste in Ontario. We were in touch, in fact previous to that, with the United States department of defence. It will be approximately a week before this vessel gets near the west coast. We expect to have this matter dealt with in conjunction with the United States by that time.

I can assure the hon. member that if the level of contaminants in the shipment is above Canadian regulations we will not accept it in Canada and it would then have to be returned to Japan.

[The Environment, March 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to assure the House and the hon. member that the report of the IJC does come down exactly along the lines of the government's approach, which is to prevent the interbasin transfer of water to protect water sources in Canada and to protect them from exotic species or other risks that may come from transfers of water from one area to another.

We believe that if this approach is adopted with the provinces we will have a complete protection of Canada's water supply throughout the country and in every part of Canada, border or otherwise.

[The Environment, March 1st, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, we do not yet have agreement of all provinces to the accord. However, since last reporting to the House, Manitoba has introduced legislation which is entirely consistent with the accord. In addition, it has taken a position with respect to the Devil's Lake diversion in North Dakota which again supports the approach of the accord. I am hoping that province will quickly come aboard with the accord itself, sign on to the accord and that the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan and Alberta will do the same in support of their fellow prairie province.

[Acid Rain, February 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. We must never forget that the acid rain problem is still with us. It was not dealt with in the 1980s.

We are holding unofficial talks with the Americans at this time. We want to hold official talks, but things are not at that stage yet. The beginning of our discussions with the Americans about other air pollution issues will help matters along.

I was very happy that Minister Bégin promised Quebec's full co-operation and I quote—

[The Environment, February 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the area of Windsor is a particularly important one in this respect as so much of the smog comes from American sources.

It is true that in dealing with the Americans we need to have the province of Ontario very clearly doing more than has been done in the past. I take the Ontario minister's word that he will match all American standards. In fact, I took some consolation from this morning's newspaper when, in response to a criticism that air quality might decline, he said “If that happens, I will `eat my shorts'.”.