Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Social acceptance of the project
– To negotiate an agreement guaranteeing the maintenance of the market value of
all property within a radius of 1.5 km of the facilities with property owners who
wish to stay, but who fear that their property might lose its value over the long
term because of the project.
– To fully compensate all property owners for insurance premium increases caused
by building the project in the region.
♦ Finding — The Panel takes note of the proponent’s commitment to mitigate the
project’s social impacts through a program of financial compensation for residents
living within 1.5 km of the proposed facilities.
Impacts of a psychosocial nature
A psychosocial impact can be defined as a state of distress, of dysfunction, or
incapacity manifested through a wide range of psychological, social and behavioural
problems 1 . Taylor et al. (1991) 2 explains in greater detail what is meant by
psychosocial impacts by classifying them according to three levels:
– Impacts on individuals of an emotional or sleep-related nature (distress, anger,
problems sleeping, anxiety, depression, etc.).
– Impacts on individuals and their social networks, such as tensions and family
divisions, interpersonal conflicts, social isolation etc.
– Impacts on the community that can translate into stigmatization, divisions, and
inter-community tensions.
The project impact statement did not deal specifically with psychosocial impacts and
was not required to do so by ministerial guidelines. Still, the Agences de la santé et
des services sociaux de la Chaudière-Appalaches and de la Capitale-Nationale
carried out a survey in 2006 among 406 citizens, 201 of whom lived within a radius of
2.5 km of the project facilities. The survey results indicated “some fears among certain
residents […] as well as tensions related to differences of opinion about the project.
Such a situation could, in all likelihood, bring about problematic psychosocial
situations, especially among citizens living in the immediate neighbourhood of the
project.” In this regard, participants in the public hearings said they had lived through
or observed the manifestation of symptoms among their peers possibly related to
1. S.J. Elliot et al., “Modelling psychosocial effects of exposure to solid waste facilities”, Social Science and
Medicine, 37(6), September 1993, p. 791-804.
2. S.M. Taylor et al., “Psychosocial impacts in populations exposed to solid waste facilities”, Social Science and
Medicine, 33(4), July 1991, p. 441-447.
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