Natural Resources committee  First of all, I would like to make a comment. The people that the minister appoints to sit on a review panel are chosen with care. Your colleague asked me if a minister had ever disregarded one of our recommendations. The agency recommends the members for that panel. We are very careful to ensure that these are people who, as far as we can know, have no conflict of interest whatsoever.

Natural Resources committee  When a project is presented to us, we will decide whether a comprehensive study or a review panel is required. We will then make a recommendation to the minister on the subject, but we are not the ones who will decide whether it is a good or a bad thing. I imagine that, in the case of a nuclear plant, we will recommend the creation of a review panel.

Natural Resources committee  As a rule, we ask the members of a review panel, in our guidelines, to review the mitigation measures that are realistic. We are less interested in someone who thinks that they can invent a technology to clean the oil sands when no one has ever done that. We defer to the review panel’s expertise.

Natural Resources committee  We would not say that, but if a review panel wrote in its report that the development of the oil sands has such an impact that other GHG emissions cannot be allowed if the project is to go ahead, we would submit that to Cabinet. I repeat that it is the government that would make the final decision.

Natural Resources committee  The panel is also independent and may decide, for good reasons, to study a particular part that is not specifically mentioned in the terms of reference.

Natural Resources committee  Scott is spending a very significant portion of his time on that.

Natural Resources committee  The annual budget is $16 million. We have 150 employees altogether and we have six regional offices in Halifax, Quebec, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

Natural Resources committee  If I may, Mr. Chairman, $1.5 million a year is the fund that we have. Mackenzie gas is a separate project when it comes to participant funding. There was a special allotment made by the government for Mackenzie. I wanted to be specific on that one.

Natural Resources committee  It's projects.

Natural Resources committee  Yes.

Natural Resources committee  Only in the case of a review panel. When the Minister of the Environment appoints a review panel, the cost associated with that review panel is borne by the developer. In other words, we invoice the proponent with the cost of operating that panel.

Natural Resources committee  The minister, not the department.

Natural Resources committee  Through the participant funding?

Natural Resources committee  I can't recall.

Natural Resources committee  We have an annual budget of $1.5 million. If we need more money than that--and the budget has been increasing because of more and more activity--we go back to Treasury Board and eventually get more funding. But it's $1.5 million right now for the whole country. I could provide you with a list for the oil sands in particular.