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Minister of the Environment Refers the Rabaska Project to a Review Panel
OTTAWA, January 20, 2005 – The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment, has determined that a review panel is the most appropriate level of environmental assessment for the Rabaska Project, proposed by Gaz Métro, Gaz de France and Enbridge Inc. These companies are proposing the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal located at the limits of the City of Lévis and the municipality of Beaumont, in the Province of Quebec. The project is subject to the federal environmental assessment process pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
The Minister's decision is based on the report and recommendation submitted by the responsible authorities, the National Energy Board, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency, concerning the determination of the environmental assessment process for the project. This report was issued following a public consultation held on the document entitled Rabaska Project – Environmental Assessment Scoping Document.
"I am referring the project to an assessment by a review panel following the recommendation by the responsible authorities," stated Minister Dion. "The Rabaska Project will be assessed within the framework of the Canada-Quebec Agreement on Environmental Assessment Cooperation."
The Rabaska Project includes a terminal comprised of two storage tanks, a jetty to receive the LNG tankers, pumping, compression and vaporizing facilities and a pipeline of approximately 50 km to connect the terminal to the existing facilities of Trans Québec & Maritimes Pipeline Inc. in St. Nicolas.
Draft federal directives, which will guide the preparation of the impact statement, will soon be made public in order to obtain comments from the public. The federal guidelines will then be finalized and sent to the proponents so that they can complete their environmental impact statement.
The Minister's decision regarding the environmental assessment process is a new element of the comprehensive study process resulting from amendments made to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, which came into effect in October 2003.
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The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.
For more information on this project or other projects underway in your region, please consult the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry.
Media information:
Robert Deslauriers
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0H3
Tel.: (613) 957-0396
Fax: (613) 957-0946
E-mail: robert.deslauriers@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
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