Progressive Conservative MLA Brad Trivers pointed to photos he called “shocking and graphic” showing ducks swimming in waterways next to mountainous piles of old tires.
“These poor ducks are there living in these tires in this wetland,” Trivers said.
“Is the province still stockpiling used tires at a shale pit in Huntley which is located in a wetland area?”
Transportation Minister Paula Biggar admitted there is a “tire storage facility” in Huntley, but made no mention of the ducks.
“I note that we are continuously shipping those off Prince Edward Island to our supplier in Quebec who can only take so many of those tires,” Biggar said.
“We will continue to work towards eradicating that number of tires that are there.”
Trivers noted Biggar herself raised questions about this same issue in 2010 as a backbench MLA.
Her questions focused on whether the contract awarded to remove the tires was an untendered.
Then-minister Ron MacKinley said in 2010 treasury board rules were followed.
But on Friday, Biggar said she had no knowledge of any details of the contract and would have to report back at a later time.
Meanwhile, in the background, Opposition MLA Colin LaVie began making duck noises, uttering, “quack quack,” while his colleague asked questions.
Trivers then asked whether an environmental impact assessment has been done to determine whether this ongoing stockpile of tires could be leaching oils or contaminants in the water.
“If a farm or business did this, it’s guaranteed with the conservation officers they’d be under heavy scrutiny. Why the double standard?”
Environment Minister Robert Mitchell said his department is working closely to oversee the ongoing removal of these tires.
HUNTLEY – Concerns about ducks living in tires piled on a wetland area in western P.E.I. led to some pointed questions and some odd behaviour in the P.E.I. legislature Friday.Progressive Conservative MLA Brad Trivers pointed to photos he called “shocking and graphic” showing ducks swimming in waterways next to mountainous piles of old tires.
“These poor ducks are there living in these tires in this wetland,” Trivers said.
“Is the province still stockpiling used tires at a shale pit in Huntley which is located in a wetland area?”
Transportation Minister Paula Biggar admitted there is a “tire storage facility” in Huntley, but made no mention of the ducks.
“I note that we are continuously shipping those off Prince Edward Island to our supplier in Quebec who can only take so many of those tires,” Biggar said.
“We will continue to work towards eradicating that number of tires that are there.”
Trivers noted Biggar herself raised questions about this same issue in 2010 as a backbench MLA.
Her questions focused on whether the contract awarded to remove the tires was an untendered.
Then-minister Ron MacKinley said in 2010 treasury board rules were followed.
But on Friday, Biggar said she had no knowledge of any details of the contract and would have to report back at a later time.
Meanwhile, in the background, Opposition MLA Colin LaVie began making duck noises, uttering, “quack quack,” while his colleague asked questions.
Trivers then asked whether an environmental impact assessment has been done to determine whether this ongoing stockpile of tires could be leaching oils or contaminants in the water.
“If a farm or business did this, it’s guaranteed with the conservation officers they’d be under heavy scrutiny. Why the double standard?”
Environment Minister Robert Mitchell said his department is working closely to oversee the ongoing removal of these tires.
