Northvolt has just started work on the site of its future factory, we have learned The duty. The company has not yet obtained authorization from the Quebec government to destroy the natural environments of the site, but it ensures that the work in progress does not affect wetlands or wooded environments.
According to information obtained on Monday, an excavator was brought to the site where Northvolt wants to build its battery component factory. Vehicles were also present on site Monday.
“We are currently conducting geotechnical studies on the site, which consist of making small excavations one meter deep, in order to validate the precise composition of the soil and determine the solidity of the existing road infrastructure on the site,” explained at the end day a spokesperson for the company, in a written response.
“These minor works are not carried out in wetland areas and the municipalities are informed of the process,” added the same spokesperson.
Upcoming authorizations
At the end of Monday, Northvolt had still not obtained the necessary authorizations to destroy the wetlands, wooded areas and wildlife habitats located on the site of the factory which will be built with public funds from the governments of the Quebec and Canada.
The Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) must grant the multinational authorization to destroy wetlands. The file concerning this “intervention”, according to the language used by the ministry, is still under analysis.
However, the company hopes to quickly obtain the green light from the government. According to information obtained by The dutythe first site preparation works, with a view to the construction of the factory, would be carried out by the end of 2023.
Can Northvolt begin work on its land without authorization from the ministry, if this work does not concern wetlands? “No”, replied the MELCCFP on November 3. At the time of publishing this text, the ministry had not responded to our questions regarding the excavation work started on the site.
74 wetlands
The natural site which will be largely destroyed to make way for the Northvolt gigafactory has no less than 74 wetlands, revealed The duty last week.
According to what emerges from a report produced for the company by a private firm, 62 of the 74 wetlands have “medium” or “high” importance for the “conservation of biological diversity”.
This same document reports a medium or high “carbon sequestration” capacity for 55 of the 74 documented wetlands, the majority of which will be destroyed for the construction of the plant. You should know that carbon sequestration in natural environments is considered an important tool in the fight against the climate crisis.
How will the loss of tens of thousands of square meters of wetlands be compensated, since Quebec has implemented a law imposing “no net loss” of such natural environments? Northvolt promises to “respect the rules in force regarding environmental protection”. Certain wetlands will also be spared. At the MELCCFP, we do not specify anything on this subject.
Wildlife
Another report produced by the firm CIMA+ for Northvolt indicates that 65 species of birds were identified on the site, including at least three listed on the federal government’s list of endangered species. According to information obtained last month, six “threatened” species have already been recorded on the site, out of the 142 bird species identified.
As federal legislation prohibits the destruction of the nest of migratory species, it is essential for Northvolt that natural environments that can serve as nesting habitat, such as trees, are destroyed outside of this period.
CIMA+ has also documented the presence of herpetofauna, which includes amphibians and reptiles. We learn in particular that the inventory made it possible to “confirm the presence on the site of several painted turtles and snapping turtles”. Since the site preparation work is planned during the hibernation period of these turtles, they should be buried alive.
The Legault and Trudeau governments did not require an environmental assessment before the construction of the Northvolt plant, as is usually required for large industrial projects. According to the minister responsible for MELCCFP, Benoit Charette, the site of the future factory, which he describes as a “beautiful project”, is an “industrial site”.
Questioned by Radio-Canada last Thursday, Minister Charette also came to the defense of Northvolt. “We are going to hope that this great project will be completed as quickly as possible. » He added that the company did not benefit from any “privilege” which would accelerate the authorization of the project.
The factory is “not located on SEPAQ land [Société des établissements de plein air du Québec] “, also dropped the Minister of the Economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, last Friday at the podium of the Council on International Relations of Montreal. The location envisaged for its installation “is probably a place where fish have three eyes,” he added, eliciting laughter from the audience.