To respond to criticism of the destruction of numerous wetlands on the Northvolt site, the company and the government insisted on the decision to preserve several of them. But will they be viable on land transformed by an industrial megaproject? The Ministry of the Environment refused to answer questions from Dutywhile the company ensures that these natural environments will continue.
When authorizing the destruction of 138,000 m2 wetlands and most of the wooded areas of Northvolt land, the Legault government and the company have focused on the protection of certain areas, including almost half of the wetland area.
The Quebec Ministry of the Environment then maintained that “the project does not involve significant encroachment in areas deemed more sensitive on the site”, citing the preservation of “all watercourses and their banks” , but also “wetlands which constitute a potential breeding habitat for certain species such as the least bittern”.
The Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, subsequently added that “the places of biodiversity of interest on the site are protected”, which made the project acceptable, unlike the real estate development refused on this same land last year. last.
Despite recourse to the Access to Information Act and questions addressed to the Ministry of the Environment, it is impossible to know how the latter is able to conclude on the sustainability of the residual wetlands and the viability of the watercourses on the Northvolt site following the construction of the industrial complex.
Discussions between the ministry and the company held last fall, however, make it possible to understand that government experts have asked questions on this subject.
“The destruction of wetlands, the waterproofing of surfaces and the management of rainwater and runoff on the site following the construction of the buildings and required infrastructure could modify the water supply supplying residual wetlands and river courses. water on the site. This risks harming the sustainability of residual wetlands not affected by the project and the viability of waterways,” they explain in an exchange document with Northvolt dated November 7. This was obtained following a request for access to information.
The experts add that, “as part of the analysis of the request, we note that you have not provided information concerning the proposed measures” to preserve the wetlands which will remain on the site once the plant is built. “This information is necessary so that we can judge the adequate minimization of the impacts of the project on the targeted environments,” they say.
They therefore ask the company to “demonstrate that the work planned as part of the project will not jeopardize the sustainability of the residual wetlands and the viability of the watercourses on the site”. To do this, the ministry’s experts require a “hydrological opinion” which demonstrates this, or the details of the “measures which will be implemented to ensure an adequate water supply”.
No answer
The duty used the Access to Information Act to attempt to obtain the “hydrological opinion” that could have been provided by Northvolt, but the ministry indicated that it does not have such a document.
How can we conclude about the viability of wetlands supposed to be preserved, including the one which shelters a breeding site for the least bittern, an endangered species? “The analysis process which led to the issuance of the authorization to the Northvolt company is mentioned in the current legal process. To this end, out of respect for this judicial process, the ministry will not issue any comments on this subject,” we simply indicated by email.
The legal action mentioned by the ministry is that launched by the Quebec Environmental Law Center, which contests the regulations put in place by the Legault government allowing Northvolt to escape the procedure leading to an examination by the Bureau of Environmental Law. public hearings on the environment. This legal action may not be heard in court for several weeks, or even several months.
Has Northvolt provided the information requested by the ministry? The company responded to Duty by quoting a passage that can be read in the document of exchanges with government experts dated November 7. It specifies that “the surface relief will not be modified” as part of the work to destroy wetlands.
“Consequently, wetland nourishment areas will be preserved. Furthermore, the topography being almost flat, the nourishment of wetlands is probably done more by percolation of rainwater into the ground than by runoff. The work to remove the plant cover and grubbing should not significantly modify this percolation function and the residual wetlands will always benefit from the same quantity of water supply,” adds Northvolt in its response to the request from the Ministry of the Environment. of Quebec.
Whether the preserved wetlands and watercourses are viable or not, the “loss” of more than 950,000 m2 of natural environments (wetlands and wooded areas) on the site as part of the Northvolt project constitutes a point of no return for the biodiversity of the sector, according to what we can read in an analysis by government experts. Indeed, they emphasize, the surface area of “residual” natural environments will “not be sufficient to maintain the essential functions supporting local and regional wildlife biodiversity, in this case avian fauna, turtles and bats”.