WHEREAS Health Regions and First Nations tender their waste collection; and

WHEREAS large companies are awarded these tenders; and

WHEREAS these large companies are not hauling the material to the nearest regional landfills; and

WHEREAS this is not economically feasible and the nearest regional landfills lose out on revenue generated from the collection of waste material;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Federal Government to ensure the waste collection from First Nations be delivered to the nearest regional landfill;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Provincial Government to ensure that waste collected from Health Regions is delivered to the nearest regional landfill.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH RESPONSE

I understand that 3sHealth currently contracts with Loraas Disposal Services Ltd. and their sub-contractors for waste management/collection  disposal in the health regions across Saskatchewan.  The contract is for non-hazardous waste management.  Cardboard goes to a recycling facility and garbage is taken to landfills.

The disposal company uses regionally approved landfills that meet the requirements of Saskatchewan  Environment for Rural Municipalities.  Regional landfills are selected based on the·route of waste collection and each truck having a full load.  Stopping at vety regional landfill with pattial loads would be possible but would also increase costs.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) was a competitive  process that followed the requirements of

The New West Pattnership Trade Agreement where the value exceeds $75,000.  The vendor was·· selected by a committee representing the health regions.  Specific landfill concerns were not raised by_ the vendors or health regions during this process.  The term of the contract is three years (beginning Februaty 1, 2013) with the option of two additional one-year extensions.

MINISTER OF ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT RESPONSE

This is in response to your letter of March 23, 2015, regarding a motion passed at the Annual Convention of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and its Resolution 11-15A, related to the tendering of waste collection/disposal services by First Nations.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada requires First Nations to follow our departmental tendering policy titled "Contracting for Non-Professional Services by First Nations and Aboriginal Communities." The policy requires that First Nations accept the lowest bid for those services tendered. The successful bidders provide the services to the First Nations, as outlined in the accepted tendered bids. The successful bidders select the landfill they will use in order to meet the conditions of their accepted bids.

Should you wish to review the policy in its entirety, as well as other conditions of funding under the Capital Facilities Maintenance Program, please refer to the Protocol for AANDC-Funded Infrastructure at the following website:

www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1409148994545/1409149023055#3.0

I trust that you will find this information of assistance.