Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Impacts on the inhabited area and human activities
♦ Recommendation 8 — Beyond the measures proposed by the proponent for the
purpose of noise mitigation, the Panel recommends that the proponent avoid, as much
as possible, the execution of noisy work between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and that the work
schedule be planned on the basis of this consideration.
♦ Recommendation 9 — The Panel recommends that the proponent take steps to
prevent exceeding the criteria of the ministère du Développement durable, de
l’Environnement et des Parcs by reducing the number of noise events and their
intensity at the source. When that is not enough, the proponent should reduce the
spread of residual noise by taking effective anti-noise measures, or by planning
measures to compensate residents.
Noise impacts during operation
During operation, the main noise impacts caused by land facilities will be due to boiloff
gas compressors, vaporizers, nitrogen production units, send-out pumps,
transformers, and the flare stack. At the jetty, these impacts will come from booster
pumps, transformers, berthed LNG tankers and tugs.
The proponent estimates that the MDDEP’s noise criteria will be met during these
activities. This assessment takes current noise sources in the area under study into
account, such as Highway 132 and Expressway 20, which in themselves are not
negligible. It also takes into account the plan for a concealing berm, intended to
mitigate the project’s visual impact, and which will have the added effect of mitigating
noise. As it turns out, such a berm would encroach on a peat bog in the area being
considered for land facilities, an issue that will be discussed further in the report.
Noise impacts from the natural gas pipeline
Although operation of equipment could lead to an increase in ambient noise, the main
noise impacts will occur during the construction phase.
Machinery noise could disturb two urbanized areas affected by the natural gas
pipeline project: the Pintendre industrial area (Borough of Desjardins) where an
underground crossover is planned beneath the property of Pintendre Autos Inc.; and
in the Chutes-de-la-Chaudière-Est borough area, which lies between the rivière
Chaudière and Expressway 73.
The proponent would take measures to mitigate the effects, such as limiting the hours
of work, planning construction activities so as to minimize their duration, equipping
machinery with properly functioning mufflers, as well as limiting heavy vehicle traffic
on public arteries. These measures are part of the industry’s standard operating
procedures to significantly limit the impacts of such projects.
Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure 185