Canada’s government has put a stop to plans for a new container terminal.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's Environmental Assessment Report concluded that the Laurentia Project: Port of Québec Deep-Water Wharf – Beauport Sector was likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. The Governor in Council then determined the potential significant direct and cumulative adverse environmental effects of the project are not justified in the circumstances.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said: "The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada led an exhaustive environmental assessment that highlighted the possibility for significant adverse environmental effects on a number of components associated with the project, many of which would be irreversible.”
Deep-water terminal
Working in partnership with Canadian National and Hutchison Ports, Québec Port Authority’s proposed 31.7-hectare project is a 610m extension to an existing wharf in order to operate a deep-water terminal dedicated to containerised general cargo in the Port of Quebec. The project, which has been in planning for six years, also includes the construction of a new berth and a retaining dike that would allow for the development of an additional 17 hectares of backshore space, along with the construction of rail lines and various road accesses.
“We are obviously very disappointed by this outcome,” said Port of Québec president and CEO Mario Girard. “It’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to reconcile our experts’ opinions with those of the experts at Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC), particularly regarding striped bass. We remain convinced that there were workable solutions and that Laurentia was a fundamentally good project, both for the economy and for the environment.”
The port said Laurentia, which would have used electric and hybrid equipment, would have delivered an overall GHG reduction of 84,000t per year across the logistics chain.
This decision does not prevent the Quebec Port Authority from submitting new project proposals and does not preclude potential development.
