MONTREAL — Residents of the area near the planned Lac-Mégantic bypass, as well as environmental groups, are asking the Canadian government for an environmental impact study of the planned bypass route, citing concerns on drinking water resources and wetlands.
The Canadian Press reports the groups and individuals have made the request in a letter to Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change. The letter says “no independent and thorough environmental assessment” of the project has been conducted. It also claims the safety of the planned bypass is inferior to the current route,and that the cost has grown from $133 million to nearly $1 billion.
Work on the bypass has yet to begin, nearly 10 years after the disaster that killed 47 people in Lac-Mégantic. After being unable to negotiate purchase of land necessary for the project, the Canadian government recently began expropriation procedures, but the bypass continues to face strong opposition in neighboring communities. The municipality of Frontenac voted against the project in a recent referendum, while officials in Nantes passed a resolution against the bypass [see “Following referendum, Quebec town plans to fight bypass,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 21, 2023].
Now the NIMBYs will use (or maybe, “misappropriate”, is the correct word?) the environmental process so as to delay the project, hoping the rising costs will force the government not to build it. If not, then on to the frivolous lawsuit stage…