The Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, makes no secret of it: the deadlines imposed on Quebec to carry out a complete environmental assessment are too long. In the coming months, he will submit a draft regulation to reduce them.
The minister said this in a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, when he was questioned about the Northvolt Six battery component factory project by solidarity MP Alejandra Zaga Mendez. “We are working to reduce these delays, as much as the part, when possible, which falls to the BAPE [Bureau d’audiences publiques en environnement]that the part that belongs to the ministry,” he said.
“So, in the coming weeks and months, we will come back with a draft regulation at this level. »
These intentions of the minister follow the remarks he made at the beginning of March on the Northvolt “giga-factory” project in Montérégie. He then affirmed that he wanted to look “over the coming months […] on how to maintain our BAPE”. According to him, with a BAPE study, “it is certain [que Northvolt] would have chosen another place to set up.”
The CAQ elected official reiterated on Wednesday that at present, the environmental assessment process can last up to 18 months in cases where the BAPE gets involved. “It could encourage developers to go to other jurisdictions,” he said on Wednesday.
Mr. Charette has not yet said what would constitute an acceptable deadline in his eyes. “When the modifications are tabled, we will discuss them. We can essentially be more efficient,” he simply told the DutyWednesday.
Further details will follow.