Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Impacts on the inhabited area and human activities
and the economic consequences that could result. According to the proponent,
existing and future ship traffic would not be affected by the presence of LNG tankers.
In the proponent’s view, ship traffic could increase considerably without decreasing
the speed of its flow given the current low level of ship traffic and modern methods of
traffic management. By the same token, a traffic study conducted by the Corporation
des pilotes du Bas-Saint-Laurent set out to demonstrate that LNG tankers could
integrate easily and without problem with existing traffic, both in terms of the capacity
to accommodate this traffic and the risk of delay for ships moving in the system at the
same time as LNG tankers (DA5, p. 4).
Moreover, the Quebec Port Authority (QPA) was of the opinion that the presence of
the LNG terminal would not cause any particular problems in terms of maritime
navigation in the port, taking into accout the actual level of maritime activities.
According to QPA data, the number of ships in transit in the port, taking all types into
account, went from 950 to over 1,200 for the period 2001-2006, representing a 25%
increase. The QPA is equally of the opinion that the traffic generated by the project
would be marginal. This is the case when the 24,000 ferry crossings are taken into
account between the Québec City and Lévis, the numerous ships in transit that pass
in front of the city of Québec to ports upriver or downriver, and the movement of
Canadian Coast Guard vessels, independent of the special measures that would be
applied for the arrival of LNG tankers.
♦ Finding — The Panel notes that the addition of LNG tankers would not represent a
major change to the present ship traffic profile on the St. Lawrence River.
The proponent stated that LNG tankers would adapt to existing traffic (Mr. Glenn
Kelly, DT11, p. 44-46). The proponent suggested application of certain conditions,
within the framework of the TERMPOL process, for passage in the Traverse du Nord
to the east of île d’Orléans, such as not allowing any encounter between LNG tankers
and other ships during the time it takes to navigate this passage, which could last, on
average, about an hour and a quarter. LNG tankers proceeding upstream should pass
between ships going downstream while tankers moving downriver should pass
between ships going upstream. At the hearing, the proponent explained that in the
event that a ship had to wait before going through the Traverse du Nord in one
direction, it would be up to the LNG tanker to wait, thereby giving priority to the
passage of other ships. However, the proponent explained that once engaged in the
Traverse du Nord, the LNG carrier would have priority, either in finishing the trip to the
jetty or in going downriver (M. Glenn Kelly, DT11, p. 46). The study by the Corporation
des pilotes du Bas-Saint-Laurent concluded that on the basis of tides and the minimum
draft needed for passage by LNG tankers, restrictions on movements in the Traverse du
Nord would be rare.
Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure 195