Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Opinions of participants
We are perfectly aware of the fact that risks will remain, which in our opinion will
be calculated risks that are acceptable considering the evolution of monitoring
and automation technology. It is increasingly easier to master processes used in
industry by using controllers and sophisticated surveillance systems.
(DM46, p. 7)
In this respect, some emphasized that the area already comprises facilities which
present risks for the population, such as the Ultramar refinery, whose operations have
proven to be reliable in terms of security for many years 1 . Others gave the example of
the Everett LNG Terminal located in the suburbs of Boston, which has thousands of
people living nearby (Mr. Jean-Paul Montmigny, DM319, p. 3; Mr. Steve Goulet,
DM486, p. 4).
Marine security
Many participants were worried about the risks related to transporting LNG with
tankers. Several were worried about the uncommon navigation conditions of the
St. Lawrence River: “no existing terminal deals with all the particular aspects of the
St. Lawrence River” (Municipality of Saint-Jean-de-L’Île-d’Orléans, DM149, p. 2) and
“this terminal would in fact be the only one in the world to be built so far inland on a
continent” (Mr. Pierre-Paul Sénéchal, DM414, p. 3). Some mentioned more
specifically the manoeuvres of LNG tankers in narrow and shallow areas, with
unfavourable winds and currents, winter conditions which result in ice forming as well
as the dense ship traffic already occurring in this seaway 2 .
The traverse du nord is a sector of the river which was especially worrisome because
of the narrowness of the seaway and its proximity to the population of the île
d’Orléans (Mr. Jacques Jobin, DM18, p. 2; Municipality of Saint-Jean-de-L’Îled’Orléans,
DM149, p. 2). In this respect, one participant recommended allowing LNG
tankers to navigate only downstream from the Traverse du Nord (Mr. Denis
Latrémouille, DM462, p. 60). Another element that was considered by the Amis de la
vallée du Saint-Laurent dealt with the manoeuvres that these large tankers would
have to execute when arriving at and departing from the terminal. They were worried
that these manoeuvres “could pose specific and significant risks or could disturb the
displacement of other ships” (DM551, p. 13). Another participant was of the opinion
that the annual frequency of strong winds which could prevent the berthing of the LNG
1. Ms. Claire Rousseau, DM135, p. 2; Mr. Pierre Julien, DM133; Ms. Gilberte Lamontagne Dubé, DM128, p. 1 and
2; Excavations Lafontaine inc., DM292, p. 3; Ms. Carole Boucher, DM694; Mr. Charles Fortin, DM134;
Mr. Claude Consigny, DM181.
2. Mr. Gilles Bernier, DM34; Ms. Madeleine P. Couture, DM111, p. 4; Ms. Denyse Rondeau, DM195, p. 2;
Mr. Jacques Côté, DM141, p. 1 and 2; Mr. Sylvain Castonguay, DM578, p. 8; Mr. Jean Morin and Ms. Carole
Gaulin, DM295, p. 1; Ms. Sandrine Louchart, DM349, p. 10; Ms. Michèle Roy and Mr. Ralph H. Nocon, DM45,
p. 3; Mr. Rogers Gonthier and Ms. Aline Provençal, DM390.
50 Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure