Since its commissioning, the controversial Port-Daniel cement plant has “regularly” violated Quebec’s environmental regulations, says the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) in a notice published Thursday. Minister Benoit Charrette therefore intends to order him to correct the situation, after more than 80 reports of polluting discharges.
In addition to being one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in Quebec, the McInnis plant is increasing violations of the province’s environmental standards, according to what emerges from the notice produced by the MELCC. An order will be issued by the Minister to require that she perform “several actions aimed at correcting the situation”.
It should be noted that the ministry has identified, since 2017, no less than “80 reports to Environmental Emergencies and 11 complaints for dust emissions or air quality”, specifies the document.
The MELCC also cites several examples. Thus, in August 2020, the factory rejected “sticky dust” which sparked complaints from citizens. The company even had to carry out, during the summer, “about 150 car washes and about ten house washes”.
The same month, MELCC inspectors noted “the release into the environment of clinker and cement dust, a contaminant likely to affect the well-being or comfort of human beings”.
In 2020 and 2021, the cement plant also experienced various problems or equipment failures that resulted in releases of “air contaminants” and dust from cement production.
“Despite several notices of non-compliance and an ongoing criminal investigation, the department had to assess other remedies available to it to have this situation corrected. Thus, the Minister intends to serve the company with an order to compel it to correct this problem, ”specifies the MELCC, in a press release.
This ordinance should in particular require the cement plant to “stop the release of contaminants into the environment beyond the standards established in the authorization”, to submit “a control plan for dust and other contaminants” and to carry out corrective work. approved by the ministry, according to a specific timetable.
The Port-Daniel cement plant, which cost more than $1.5 billion, has never been the subject of an environmental assessment under the aegis of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE). It caused Quebec taxpayers to lose millions of dollars. It is now controlled by Votorantim Cimentos, an international company based in Luxembourg, according to information registered in the Quebec Business Register.