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 Hello Friend, Let me tell you a story. Our federal government is about to give $1.37 billion of our money to a Swedish company, Northvolt. This money is to build an electric car battery factory – in the name of saving the environment. This factory will be constructed on a site along the banks of the Richelieu River. The site was polluted by the CIL company for over a century. Shockingly, this decision is being made without any environmental assessment. During construction, contaminated groundwater could leech into the Richelieu River. The endangered Quebecois copper redhorse fish may bear the brunt of these toxic discharges. Eventually, the contamination will flow into the Saint Lawrence River. This puts the endangered beluga whales that live there at risk. This decision to invest in Northvolt and accept the contaminated site came after intense lobbying efforts by federal Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. It seems Mr. Champagne lucked out, because the wildlife affected don't have the right to vote! By donating to the Green Party, you can help us push for accountability, and a thorough environmental assessment of the Northvolt project. This is about safeguarding our rivers and wildlife. Every dollar you give strengthens our fight for a cleaner, safer future. The contaminated site that Northvolt will inherit contains a frightening mix of pollutants: aromatic mono and polycyclic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons, Trinitro-2,4,6 toluene (also known as TNT – yes, that means DYNAMITE), cadmium, chrome, phenolic compounds, lead, zinc. Some of these substances are carcinogenic to both humans and fish. This list of pollutants on the Northvolt site came from the polluter, CIL. It's likely that the site contains other dangerous pollutants that have yet to be identified. The Northvolt factory will occupy 172 hectares, but the contaminated area spans 375 ha. That's the equivalent of over 570 Canadian football fields! This contaminated land is made up of sand and gravel deposits on the surface, which are highly permeable. The groundwater is contaminated. Heavy machinery used during the factory construction will move the sand and gravel, and cause vibrations. This could spread the contamination towards the Richelieu River, as well as into nearby agricultural and urban areas. The polluted Northvolt site includes over 1.8 km of the Richelieu River's shoreline. There are 49 watercourses and flow areas that cross the site. At least eleven potential points for contaminated water to enter the river have been identified. All of this tells us one thing: the Northvolt factory project must undergo a public environmental assessment. Quebec refuses to conduct this assessment. When the federal government invests taxpayer money in infrastructure projects it must, by law, evaluate the environmental impacts. This is especially true in this case. The fish in the Richelieu River and the belugas in the Saint Lawrence River are protected by federal laws on fisheries and endangered species. Let's hope that Steven Guilbeault, the federal Minister of the Environment, talks to his colleague François-Philippe Champagne, and together they order public environmental assessment hearings for the Northvolt project. Otherwise, the fish and belugas might have to demand their right to vote in the next election.
Daniel Green
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