LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA We dnesday, II/larch 14, 1990. The House met at 1:30 p.m. we will be able to make an assessment on how we might be able to avoid that. PRAYERS Frankly, Mr. Speaker, we are moving to make sure RO UTINE PROCEEDINGS that we have more people available to keep up to date with the book tracing of the volumes and the location TA BLING OF REPORTS of the tanks so that we can be even more on top of what is happening in terms of the underground gasoline Hon. Gerald Ducharme (Minister of Housing): Mr. storage. Speaker, I have the privilege to submit the Annual Report of the Department of Urban Affairs for the fiscal Mr. Taylor: That 6,000-litre fuel spill in my own riding year ended March 31, 1989. recently was supposed to lead to better regulation of the industry by the Environment Department and better Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister of Environment): Mr. management by the oil companies and operators. After Speaker, it is my pleasure to table the 1987-88 Annual that last response it would appear that very little has Report for the Clean Environment Commission. been done. Mr. Speaker, why is it that four months after that INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Portage Avenue fuel spill the Environment Minister (Mr. Cummings) does not even have a decent inventory and Mr. Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, may I direct the condition report of the fuel tanks in use in this province? attention of Honourable Members to the gallery where Why has he ignored the offer of the practical we have from the Killarney School thirty-eight Grade suggestions which were given to him in the Estimates students. They are under the direction of John Ross. 9 process in December to this end? This school is located in the constituency of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Mr. Rocan). Mr. Cummings: Mr. Speaker, if the Member thinks that On behalf of all Honourable Members, I welcome you we only started looking at this problem four months here this afternoon. ago then he does not understand the manner in which we have approached this as a serious responsibility of OR.Al QUESTION PERIOD our department. The fact is that there is an enormous number of tanks across this province. Fuel Tank Spills Mo nito ri ng In fact, I have received a number of complaints from service station owners about the fact that our testing and the surveillance that our department is putting on Mr. Harold Taylor (Wolseley): Mr. Speaker, over the them is excessive. The fact is that we will not stand last two years a quarter of all the fuel spills in Manitoba back and allow flagrant abuse of The Environment Act, have been attributable to Shell Oil Company and its flagrant discharges into the ground waters of this operators. The oil company is keeping its track record province and we will be viewing very seriously wherever as last night new fuel tanks leaked into the City of there is flagrant abuse and negligence in keeping track Winnipeg's sewer system in the Transcona district. This of the volumes of gasoline. contamination then spread into adjacent homes forcing the evacuation of over 60 people. Mr. Taylor: Mr. Speaker, that was an interesting Mr. Speaker, the last fuel spill by Shell Oil occurred comment by the Minister. When you have had a very only a few months ago. At that time the Minister advised slack regime on the regulation of this industry I am that there was going to be a better way to deal with not surprised there are some complaints. these types of incidents. Would the Minister please clarify just what action he has taken so that we can Cleanup Procedu res avert these types of repeated fuel spills, both here in the city and out in the rural areas? Mr. Harold Taylor (Wolseley): Mr. Speaker, why is it the Transcona residents that had to be evacuated from Hem. Glen Cummings (Minister of Envirc:mment): It their homes were left out of their homes overnight? has become an increasing problem with the number Why was that fuel not removed until late this morning? of fuel tanks that have discharged underground over Why was it not removed right away so it would not the last number of years. continue seeping into that sewer system and into their homes? Why was that move not taken- • (1335) Mr. Speaker: Order, please. The question has been The regulations in place require that the testing of put. the older tanks-unfortunately, this incident that occurred last night is a newer set of tanks. As soon Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister of Environment): Mr. as we have the information as to what caused the leak Speaker, the response people, as I understand it, 5910 We dnesday, March 14, 1990 worked all night to lower the level of gasoline sewer lines so that the people of the be returned to their houses as soon as poss11bl•e. think the Member is advocating any way these evacuees Preparations are made for the environmental assessment on the Lake gold are only too well aware of, but to have been set. Mr. Soeal<er. the Ontario Environment Department files on mine are being transported to Winnipeg the Water Protection The question is: being given three material critical to submission a very crucial application? Why the ridiculous time limitation? Hon. Glen Cummings (Minister of iEr""''"''"''""'"" Speaker, I am not sure if the Member is rPt<>rrinn the amount of time that they would have in their hands; that seems somewhat also indicated that no time has been set for this or is he prepared to recognize the fact that the is certainly still there for Consolidated Professor not concessions the of Ontario to make sure to proceed with this application. that Manitoba's interests are properly taken care of. * (1340) I presume what he is referring to, without wanting to say so, is that this is the second round of consultations on the setting of the guidelines for the Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin Flon): Mr. Speaker, last night EIA. If that is what he is asking about then I would ask another school division was forced by this Government him to stand up and say so. to raise property taxes upon its ratepayers in double­ digit figures, a 12 percent increase in the Winnipeg Water Qu ality School Division. Given that the Winnipeg School Division, and school Mr. Harold Taylor (Wolseley): Yes, Mr. Speaker, a little divisions across the province have called on this touchiness there. Government to suspend its funding to private schools, Last night the Water Protection Group, at its annual will the Minister of Education (Mr. Derkach) immediately meeting, proposed a goal of zero level toxins entering suspend additional increases to private schools, meet 5911 Wednesday, March 14, 1990 with the Winnipeg School Division and other school Flon (Mr. Storie) keeps talking about independent divisions who are forcing increases, tax increases, on schools. We have indicated that we are not taking their ratepayers? Will he meet with those divisions that money from the public school system to support are imposing double-digit tax increases on their independent schools. ratepayers? Will he meet with them and find the I find it somewhat contradictory when the Member additional money that is available from Government for Concordia (Mr. Doer) is a product of an independent general revenues to protect the homeowners and the school, when the Member for The Pas (Mr. Harapiak) ratepayers of divisions across the province, and and the Member for the Interlake (Mr. Uruski) send particularly the City of Winnipeg? their children to an independent school, are they suggesting that these schools are just for the elite who Hon. Leonard Derkach (Minister of Education and can afford them? I suggest, Mr. Speaker- Training): We have been this route several times in the last few days, Mr. Speaker, and once again I have Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order. to indicate to the Members of this House and the Member for Flin Flon (Mr. Storie) that the support to Mr. Storie: Mr. Speaker, the money that this Winnipeg School Division No. 1, in terms of its basic Government, the $15 million or $16 million that this 5 supports, was in excess of percent, when the inflation Government is giving to private schools this year and rate is 4. 7 percent. the $25 million or $30 million that it will be giving to I have to indicate that we made it very clear to all private schools is coming out of the pockets of the school boards across this province that the funding we same taxpayers, in the City of Winnipeg and the were supporting school education by was indeed at Winnipeg School Division, who are being asked to pay the level of inflation which would ensure the preservation an additional $100 this year. of the programs that they now have in place. Additionally we said to all school boards, including Winnipeg No. law Amendments Committee 1, that they had to set their priorities. To date I have Private Schools Funding no evidence that Winnipeg No. 1 have done very much work with regard to setting their priorities in their Mr. Jerry Storie (Flin Flon): Mr. Speaker, my question budget, and until that happens, until a meaningful is to the First Minister (Mr. Filmon). The First Minister approach is taken, I am reluctant to meet with that has promised Manitobans an open Government. On division. many occasions there have been public meetings and public discussion papers prepared on very important * (1345) issues.