Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Economic context of the project
It is foreseen here that the companies will be informed of the possibilities to obtain
contracts through sector meetings. These meetings could provide the opportunity to
provide offers of services and lists of areas of specialization, the proponent’s goal
being to develop a data base of companies in the region, which could then be
provided to the main bidders.
The Panel noted that no particular advantage is offered to companies in Chaudière-
Appalaches that do not have a business office in Lévis in terms of a privileged access to
project contracts. They would thus potentially be subject to l competitive bidding for the
awarding of contracts. The Panel noted however that the proponent undertook to
generate as many spinoffs as possible in the regions (ibid., p. 6.120). In this context, the
Panel judges that the provisions aiming to maximize economic spinoffs in the city of
Lévis are fair. It also considers that an additional mechanism aimed at generating
spinoffs for contractors in the Chaudière-Appalaches region should also be planned for.
♦ Finding — The Panel found that the project would have economic spinoffs for the
region and Quebec. The Panel also takes note of the provisions in the agreement
linking the proponent and the City of Lévis, aimed to maximize the project’s
economic spinoffs for that city.
♦ Recommendation 1 — The Panel recommends that the proponent establish a
regional committee with the mandate to establish a strategy in an aim to maximize
the project’s economic spinoffs for the Chaudière-Appalaches region.
The operating phase
According to data provided by the proponent, the annual operating budget predicted
for the LNG terminal would reach $46.5 million, excluding marine fees ($10 million a
year) charged to the LNG carrier. Total annual economic spinoffs in Quebec are
estimated at $37 million. Moreover, the activity generated would support the
equivalent of 288 person-years and would enable the development of a new expertise
in the LNG sector in Quebec. These jobs would comprise 70 direct jobs, to which
218 indirect jobs would be added.
The proponent also undertook to pay a minimum of $7 million annually in municipal
taxes and $1 million annually in school taxes. In addition, certain provisions of the
agreement reached on October 16, 2006, provide for financial and technical support
from the proponent for certain regional recreation projects, including the Route verte
and the Parc de la Pointe-De La Martinière (PR8.2, p. 2, 6 and 7). The MRC de
Bellechasse, which encompasses the municipality of Beaumont, has asked to sign an
agreement with the proponent, similar to the one reached with the City of Lévis (Mr.
Pierre-Paul Deblois, DT19, p. 49).
90 Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure