April 28, 2021 Economy Committee
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STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE ECONOMY Hansard Verbatim Report No. 6 — April 28, 2021 Published under the authority of The Hon. Randy Weekes Speaker Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan Twenty-Ninth Legislature Hansard on the Internet Hansard and other documents of the Legislative Assembly are available within hours after each sitting. https://www.legassembly.sk.ca/Calendar STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE ECONOMY Ms. Colleen Young, Chair Lloydminster Mr. Buckley Belanger, Deputy Chair Athabasca Mr. Jeremy Cockrill The Battlefords Mr. Ken Francis Kindersley Mr. Terry Jenson Martensville-Warman Mr. Delbert Kirsch Batoche Mr. Doug Steele Cypress Hills STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE ECONOMY 75 April 28, 2021 [The committee met at 16:00.] tremendous staff behind us. The Chair: — Good afternoon, folks. Seeing as we have This year’s budget is focused on protecting Saskatchewan people everyone here, I think we can begin. So welcome to the Standing through the remainder of the pandemic and beyond — our Committee on the Economy. I’m Colleen Young and I will be foremost objective, really, as government. In that vein the budget chairing this afternoon’s committee meeting. We have members also focuses on building the infrastructure for a strong economy Jeremy Cockrill, Ken Francis, Terry Jenson, Delbert Kirsch, and and growing Saskatchewan to help ensure a healthy and robust Doug Steele, as well as Erika Ritchie substituting in for Buckley recovery socially and fiscally for the future of our province and Belanger this afternoon. our people. Because we are still implementing measures to facilitate safety The Ministry of Environment will continue to lead and support a in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, if the minister needs number of key commitments in Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan: to confer privately during the proceedings he may do so in the The Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030. This includes delivering hallway or the vestibule at the front of the Chamber. And as a on the province’s Prairie Resilience climate change strategy, reminder, please don’t touch the microphones. They are fragile implementing the new solid-waste management strategy, and and sensitive. The Hansard operator will turn your microphone supporting the development and deployment of small modular on when you are speaking to the committee. reactor technology in Saskatchewan. Cleaning supplies are located at the tables by the side doors for The ministry’s 2021-22 budget of $113.134 million represents an members and officials to use if they require them. And if you increase of 3.5 million or 3.2 per cent from the ’20-21 budget. have any questions about logistics or have documents to table, This year’s budget allocation supports the ministry’s core the committee requests that you contact the Clerk at mandate of environmental protection and sustainable resource [email protected]. Contact information is management for the well-being of the province and its people. provided on the witness table. The budget includes 10.2 per cent in additional funding to help General Revenue Fund deliver the Sarcan beverage container collection and recycling Environment program, bringing the province’s total funding support to $35 Vote 26 million. Sarcan employs more than 700 people at its 73 collection depots across the province. This important and ongoing funding Subvote (EN01) contributes to economic activity, provides waste management and recycling benefits, and contributes to the well-being of The Chair: — We will now begin our consideration of the people with disabilities who work with Sarcan’s recycling estimates for the Ministry of Environment, vote 26, operations. Environment, central management and services, subvote (EN01). We have technical difficulties right now, but when you are ready, I’d also like to take a moment to highlight a couple of important Minister Kaeding, you can introduce your official that’s here recycling initiatives that have launched in 2021. Just in April, with you this afternoon and begin with your opening remarks. through a partnership with Product Care, Saskatchewan launched its household hazardous waste recycling program. Household Hon. Mr. Kaeding: — Well good afternoon, Madam Chair, and hazardous waste collection events will be funded by Product members of the committee. Thank you for taking this time to Care in partnership with municipal governments. Through these consider the estimates of the Ministry of Environment. I look events, residents will be able to recycle hazardous wastes such as forward to your questions and a good discussion about the work domestic pesticides, toxics, corrosives, flammable liquids, and of the ministry. certain non-refillable fuel cylinders free of charge. In the long term, Product Care is seeking municipal governments, Here with me today are Sarah Harrison, our deputy minister; organizations, or private partners that meet site and compliance Elias Nelson, my chief of staff. And we have additional ministry requirements to establish permanent collection depots. officials providing vital support today which include David Brock, our assistant deputy minister of climate change and On another front, the province launched its single-use battery adaptation division; Kevin Murphy, our assistant deputy recycling program January 1 of this year. Call2Recycle will minister, resource management and compliance division; Wes operate the province’s regulated battery stewardship program, Kotyk, our assistant deputy minister, environmental protection both the collection and recycling of consumer batteries. division; Veronica Gelowitz, our assistant deputy minister of Residents now have access to 150 convenient drop-off locations corporate services and policy division; Brant Kirychuk, located across the province. executive director of fish, wildlife and lands branch; David Cobb, our executive director of forest service branch; and Brady These are important initiatives for the province that will pay Pollock, the executive director of environmental assessment and dividends for our residents and the environment, much like our stewardship branch; and Aaron Wirth, the executive director of approach to the challenge of climate change. This budget climate change and adaptation branch. And also I want to, for the continues to support the ongoing delivery of our Prairie record, say that we have Emni Eltassi, Alicia Bay, and Aaron Resilience strategy. There will be an additional $255,000 Metcalf in our office that are providing crucial support on a daily invested in the output-based performance standards program, and basis. This feels like Telemiracle. I think I should say, let’s ring $629,000 to support the small modular reactor unit. The budget those phones. But anyway, you can tell that we’ve got some includes 719,000 for remediation of the Newcor non-uranium 76 Economy Committee April 28, 2021 abandoned mine located near Creighton. Okay, thank you for your patience, Ms. Ritchie. How we ended up with the Newcor mine site, certainly there’s a gradient of The province’s conservation officer service will see an injection assessments as we’ve got, first off . Let me back up. These of $450,000 to hire more officers. This funding recognizes the mines are ending up as provincial government’s responsibility critical role our conservation officers play in supporting because they are located on Crown land. And they are abandoned environmental protection, managing natural resource utilization, sites so there’s nobody that we can go back to, to seek and contributing to public safety, especially in rural remediation on this. So there’s seven that we’ve indicated that communities. Another $450,000 has been provided to address we know that we’re responsible for, and there’s a constant conservation officer accommodation issues in Southend. monitoring process. There’s a process that we go through to identify what the risks may be, associated with each one of these A new fund of $200,000 will also be established to better support mines. Indigenous participation in a range of ministry engagement initiatives. Capital funding of $845,000 will be in place for Newcor has gone to the top because it is close to the community 2021-22, enabling the ministry to continue addressing safety and of Creighton. So there’s concern around potential contamination security concerns in its facilities and to maintain required of their drinking water source and even contamination going into operating equipment. the community. So that’s why that has been elevated to number one. The ’21-22 budget will allow the Ministry of Environment to continue to ensure the environment is protected, communities are Each year we estimate that there’s an estimated liability of safe, and economic growth is balanced with environmental approximately $31 million on these seven different sites. And health. each year, you know, we certainly hope to be able to remediate a site kind of year by year. So in this one, it’s been deemed through Madam Chair, I thank you and the committee for your time. We the initial work and assessment done on it, it’s going to be appreciate your interest and look forward to your questions. approximately . 719,000 is now budgeted for the completed remediation of that. And what that’s going to involve is there’s The Chair: — Thank you, Minister. I will now open the floor to going to be some physical work done to cap a shaft as well as to committee members for questions and acknowledge Ms. Ritchie. remediate some exposed tailings. And then there will be some long-term monitoring that’ll be put into place as well and that, I Ms. Ritchie: — Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess maybe before believe, will be an operating budget as we move forward. Yes. I get started I would ask that everyone is wearing their masks properly while in the Assembly. Thank you. Okay. Ms. Ritchie: — Also part of the question had to do with the public reporting on contaminated sites.