SoVote

Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

May/2/24 2:31:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, another report, another failure. Under this Minister of Environment, Canada will miss its greenhouse gas emissions targets. That is not surprising. Everyone will remember the Liberals' environmental legacy: the purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline, throwing $34 billion of our money away on one big pipe; the billions more thrown at the oil companies; the waste of public money; the pollution; the ravaging of our climate. The Minister of Environment must be so proud. Can the Liberals stop stringing us along and pretending to care about the climate crisis?

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Context: House Hansard - 307 - May/2/24

Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)

May/2/24 2:32:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government is doing more to fight climate change than any other federal government in the history of Canada. We put a price on pollution. We have a major, $93‑billion industry program to stimulate the green transition. We are and should be proud of what we are doing, and we know that more needs to be done.

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Context: House Hansard - 307 - May/2/24

Mr. Mike Kelloway (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

May/2/24 8:25:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada recognizes that safe recycling processes are vital to ensure the careful and secure handling of environmental hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and ozone-depleting substances. Canada aims to ensure that ships are recycled safely at the end of their operational lives without posing unnecessary risks to human health and the environment. Ship recycling in Canada is recognized as the most environmentally sound method to dispose of ships that have reached their end of life. Many provisions affecting ship-recycling facilities are governed by provinces and territories, such as environmental and waste management and workplace occupational health and safety. Overall, Canada has some of the strongest laws and regulations across federal, provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdictions, and we remain committed to working with all levels of government to make sure that Canada's ship-recycling facilities remain among the safest in the world. The Canadian Coast Guard has received numerous inquiries about the vessels that are intended for deconstruction at the Deep Water Recovery recycling facility in Union Bay. The Coast Guard has undertaken several assessments of the area where the vessels are awaiting deconstruction at Deep Water Recovery. If pollution enters the marine environment from a land-based spill, the Coast Guard will report the pollution to the Ministry of Emergency Management in British Columbia and provide assistance where required. The Coast Guard has reminded the deconstruction company of its responsibility under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, to prevent any release of oil or other pollutants from reaching the marine environment. The Government of Canada is taking action to reduce the number of vessels of concern in Canadian waters and to minimize their impact on coastal communities, the environment and the public under the oceans protection plan. As of January 24, 2024, the Government of Canada has removed 584 wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels across the country. The Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act was adopted in 2018 and came into force in 2019. The objectives of the act are to strengthen owner accountability and to enable more proactive government action to address the risks posed by problem vessels. Specifically, the act increases marine safety by, first, prohibiting vessel abandonment, unless authorized by law or in case of marine emergency; second, prohibiting owners from allowing their vessels to become wrecks, either by neglect or deliberate action; third, prohibiting owners from leaving their vessels adrift in Canadian waters for more than 48 hours without taking action to secure them; and, fourth, prohibiting owners from leaving a dilapidated or poorly conditioned vessel in the same area for more than 60 days without consent. This prohibition is important since dilapidated vessels are at a greater risk of becoming abandoned or wrecked. Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, an owner is prohibited from allowing their vessel to become a wreck due to failing to maintain it. Under the Canadian law, vessel owners are responsible for their vessels at all times. They must take all necessary actions, including repair, salvage and prevention or cleanup of leaking fuel or oil. Vessel owners must contact the Canadian Coast Guard if their vessel is sinking, has sunk or is a threat to discharge marine pollution. When a report of pollution is received, the Coast Guard begins the marine pollution response process by assessing the potential risk posed by that vessel. Some factors considered include the risk to human life and the risk to the environment and public safety, as well as the type and size of vessel, its location and how much fuel is on board. In situations where a vessel is at high risk to release pollutants in the marine environment, the Coast Guard will work with response partners toward immediate action.

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