Cabinet pushed for NTCL cleanup prep
Minister says assistant deputy minister assigned to file
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, November 7, 2016
HAY RIVER
The territorial government has been asked what it plans to do to remediate contaminated sites owned or leased by the financially-troubled Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL).
Hay River North MLA Rocky (R.J.) Simpson raised the issue in the legislative assembly on Oct. 25.
"In my riding of Hay River North, we have some beautiful waterfront property," he said. "Much of that property is owned or leased by NTCL, and unfortunately, too much of it is littered with old fuel tanks, barges, scrap metal, derelict buildings and garbage. This mess is a constant eyesore for the residents of Hay River, works against this government's ambitious plan to increase the number of tourists, and does nothing to help attract new residents to my community."
The MLA predicted NTCL won't be cleaning up the properties and so it will fall on the territorial government to take the initiative and reclaim the landscape.
"Many people take for granted that the federal government will swoop in and clean up. I don't," he said. "I'm positive that the feds hold the liability for many of the contaminated sites, and where they do, we need to ensure that we aggressively pursue federal support to not only accept this liability but to remediate those sites, as well. This is a complicated issue."
Simpson said he hopes someone in the Department of Lands has been designated the lead on the NTCL file and that person knows the liabilities associated with each leased parcel and understands the relevant law, including the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), under which NTCL has been operating since earlier this year.
Simpson asked Lands Minister Louis Sebert if the department has done any inspections of NTCL's land in Hay River or anywhere in the NWT to check for environmental and compliance issues, and what future actions may be taken.
Sebert responded it is a complex issue.
"The company is not yet bankrupt," he said. "They have a lease, and we need to wait for the CCAA process to proceed. However, the department has conducted inspections of lands that are leased to NTCL. This includes lands that are directly leased to the company by the GNWT, as well as those leased through head leases given to the Town of Hay River. No lease compliance issues have been identified. Lands will be working with other departments to identify areas of particular concern that would be in need of additional environmental assessment."
Sebert said the Department of Lands' assistant deputy minister of planning and co-ordination is working on the NTCL file, supported by a director, regional superintendents and lands inspectors.
The minister said the government is treating the matter very seriously.
