Methylmercury and Muskrat Falls came to the forefront in the House of Assembly this afternoon with matters raised by both the PC’s and NDP.
MHA for the Torngat Mountains, Lela Evans, and Premier Dwight Ball.
MHA for Torngat Mountains, Lela Evans, questioned Premier Dwight Ball saying last week during the Muskrat Falls Inquiry it was said during testimony from officials of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment that methylmercury mitigation work in the form of capping had to start by Fall of 2018.
However, on June 13th in the House, Natural Resources Minister, Siobhan Coady, said capping was still being considered.
Evans asks why they didn’t tell the House it was already too late for capping.
Premier Ball says it remains a priority, and since the four recommendations from the IEAC came in April 2018, there has been quite a bit of work done in terms of gathering analysis and monitoring in the reservoir and down stream in Lake Melville.
He says none of the examples or increases in methylmercury that were anticipated back in 2018 actually happened within the monitoring system that was approved by the IEAC.
Allison Coffin and Siobhan Coady.
NDP Leader, Alison Coffin, also questioned Natural Resources Minister, Siobhan Coady, on the safety and stability of the north spur.
Coffin says Nalcor’s hand-picked north spur peer review panel did not consult the community or perform any calculations of its own and disclaims any liability for the work done. She asks how they can continue to trust Nalcor’s claim that everything is fine with the north spur despite what has come from the inquiry.
Coady says they have 30 different reports from many different professional organizations on the north spur work. Stability work has been undertaken and ensures that they are taking the matter very seriously and if there’s more to be done they will consider.
Meanwhile, the newest MHA in the House of Assembly had the opportunity to ask his first question today.
NDP MHA for Labrador West, Jordan Brown, used his first opportunity to speak up during question period to ask about Muskrat Falls and the north spur as well.
He says while defending the stability of the north spur, Coady has constantly referred to Nalcor’s assurance that the dam meets Canadian safety standards, however experts claim the unique geology of the area requires additional assessments and modern calculations. He asks if the understanding of the IEAC of the stability of the north spur dam is critical.
