Environment committee  From a water quality perspective, what we've found in the audit is that the department has water quality monitoring agreements federally with British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland, and no such provincial-level agreements with any of the other pro

Environment committee  I believe the question had to do with whether there is funding to help remediate groundwater pollution problems that are caused by, I could maybe say, government polluters. We didn't look at that question during the course of our audit work, and that would be a more appropriate q

Environment committee  Yes, we received their review of the sustainable development process. It addressed all aspects of our recommendation.

Environment committee  It was an informal review. The team in charge of sustainable development in our office reviewed their report. The department may have a copy of that review.

Environment committee  Our experience in the past has been that the 28 departments have tabled their sustainable development strategies on time every three years. I see no reason why that shouldn't continue to be the case.

Environment committee  Under the legislation, within one year of tabling of the final federal strategy, each of the 28 individual departments subject to the act is to table a strategy that contributes to the federal one. So the answer is that somewhere around June or July 2011 we should see 28 individ

Environment committee  Well, I couldn't argue with much of what you've said. I haven't the exact quotes in front of me, but we did comment on a number of such weaknesses in past sustainable development strategies.

Environment committee  Well, the mandates of the departments for delivering on sustainable development would follow from this act here, the SD act, as well as the provisions set out in the Auditor General Act, as well as the provisions of their own enabling legislation, which you mentioned. So it woul

Environment committee  Yes, I would think so.

Environment committee  Our mandate is tied to the legislation.

Fisheries committee  We understand that the club tunicate is having a devastating impact on the mussel industry in Prince Edward Island. As I recall, if my memory serves, it is about a $40 million a year industry. They're struggling to keep the organism under control, but it seems to be well establis

Fisheries committee  We did--

Fisheries committee  Yes, I would say the club tunicate is one of hundreds of species Mr. Thompson already mentioned, and we did go to P.E.I. to have a look at that particular case. Our observations and recommendations are at a more global level, because there are, as I said, hundreds of these things

Fisheries committee  As Mr. Thompson mentioned, over $1 billion a year in economic impact in Canada is the information we have that, as I said, is background to our audit. This is one industry that's very important. Lobster fishery is another threatened fishery.

Fisheries committee  I couldn't say whether there is a coordinating committee. I know that both departments we looked at, Transport Canada and DFO, clearly understand their respective responsibilities on the issue. One is science and risk assessment, and the other is monitoring, enforcement, and co