The Northvolt site contains tens of thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil, which results from the land’s heavy industrial past. The current and future work could also cause leaks of contaminants towards the Richelieu River, according to the stakeholders consulted by The duty. In the absence of an independent study and assessment of the risks, the Ministry of the Environment raised questions about the presence of contaminated soil and water in its discussions with the company. She says there is no risk.
Although the natural environments currently being razed or filled in by Northvolt are home to rich biodiversity, the site’s soils and groundwater still contain a cocktail of contaminants resulting from decades of manufacturing chemicals, fertilizers and explosives on this land. . The latter is located along the Richelieu River and upstream of three drinking water intakes.
At the end of the decontamination work carried out between 2012 and 2015, a little more than 50,000 tonnes of heavily contaminated soil were left on site in a containment zone. For the moment, they will remain there. “In the event that this area is subject to decontamination work”, Northvolt specifies that it will have to “submit a soil rehabilitation plan” to the Ministry of the Environment and that it “will respect the conditions to carry out these works “.
A report from the firm Englobe, dated June 2015 and obtained following a request for access to information, also shows that the presence of contaminated soil is far from limited to this area. The land of the future factory still has numerous “areas to be rehabilitated in the future”, which therefore contain soils containing industrial contaminants.
Several of these are located in areas where Northvolt operates with machinery to destroy the plant cover that until now covered the ground, but also wetlands. By email, Northvolt asserts, however, that “the residual contamination levels” of the soil “do not require additional decontamination for industrial activities.”
Underground waters
In its discussions with the company last November, the Ministry of the Environment nevertheless stressed that the documents submitted made “no mention” of the management or monitoring of surface water, “contaminated groundwater” and ” contaminated soils” as part of work to destroy natural environments for “land preparation”.
In a document which has since been posted online by the government, the ministry at the same time demanded clarification on these questions, while indicating that the discovery of very contaminated soils was plausible.
Northvolt responded to government requests by indicating that this first stage of the project does not include groundwater pumping, “stormwater management,” or excavation of potentially contaminated soil. These questions were then to be part of requests for “subsequent” ministerial authorizations for the construction of the buildings. A first request to this effect was filed on December 22. This aims to obtain the green light to lay out temporary paths, install “rainwater drainage systems” and construct the “foundations of the first building”.
By email, the Quebec Ministry of the Environment affirmed today that the presence of contaminated soil on the site does not represent any risks to the environment. Northvolt adds for its part that the work in progress should not cause leaks of industrial contaminants which would flow from the site towards the Richelieu River. “Measures will be put in place (example: sediment barriers) to prevent the flow of contaminants towards the Richelieu River,” we specify by email.
A document submitted last December by Northvolt to the Quebec government, and obtained by The duty following a request for access to information, shows that the company is aware of the presence of contaminated soil in the work area.
This same document, heavily redacted, also specifies that an “inspection of effluents and discharge points” of rainwater is planned every week in order to check whether they comply with environmental standards. “In the case of non-compliant results, working methods will have to be adjusted or immediate measures will have to be taken to restore the situation and guarantee a return to compliance”, we can read there.
Risks
Environmental consultant and specialist in toxic substances for several years, Daniel Green is not reassured by the comments of the ministry and the company. “There is a lack of information to judge the risk of releasing contaminants,” he says, after reading the documents filed by Northvolt and discussions with government experts. “In my opinion, the characterization of the site is incomplete and it will be very difficult for Northvolt to guarantee the environmental safety of the site during the major work they are going to do. »
Mr. Green adds that there are several possible routes on this vast land to facilitate the escape of contaminants recirculated as part of the current and future work. “For example, during the thaw and snowmelt period, we could very well see contaminants flowing towards the Richelieu River. But the only way to know would be to do independent monitoring. Northvolt cannot be asked to do this, and the government has a conflict of interest. »
Water intakes
The analysis of the risks posed by contaminated soil and water would have been one of the subjects addressed within the framework of an impact study and an environmental assessment carried out under the aegis of the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE). But the Legault government rejected this idea.
In this context, Daniel Green pleads for a decontamination program for this “heavily contaminated” site which would be carried out following an examination by the BAPE. “There are security and public health issues, particularly due to drinking water intakes and the presence of residents living near the Richelieu. And we must also not forget that the decontamination work will be paid for by taxpayers. »
In my opinion, the characterization of the site is incomplete and it will be very difficult for Northvolt to guarantee the environmental safety of the site during the major work they are going to do.
The president of the Rivières Foundation, Alain Saladzius, also judges that the risk of contaminant leaks to the Richelieu River is a major problem, which would have deserved to be part of an independent environmental assessment.
“The question arises in particular for the pumping of groundwater and the drainage of surface water, such as rainwater, which will be necessary to construct the buildings,” he argues. “The site appears to be partly in an area full of water and, if the soil contains contaminants, they risk flowing into the river. We will have to be careful and analyze the quality of the water, and we will have to control more than the suspended matter in this water,” adds Mr. Saladzius.
The general director of the Richelieu River Basin Consultation and Development Committee, Sylvain Lapointe, also asks himself serious questions. “We have no answers at this time and we are concerned about the ongoing work on site and upcoming construction of the buildings. If contaminated soil is transported during rainy days, for example, will the water flowing to the river be contaminated? »
Mr. Lapointe does not blame Northvolt, rather emphasizing that the company is, in his opinion, showing “openness” to discuss these issues. The group he leads will also take part in the “community liaison committee” which will be set up in the region.
He believes that the protection of the Richelieu River must be part of this committee’s discussions, recalling that this aquatic ecosystem is fragile and already subject to various anthropogenic pressures. Under the federal Fisheries Act, it is prohibited to discharge contaminants into fish habitat. There are also legally protected habitats of the copper redhorse, a species on the verge of extinction, in this course.