Canada’s Montreal Port Authority (MPA) has revealed the findings of an environmental impact assessment of its new $750m container terminal project at Contrecœur.
The findings will be released in support of a public consultation that is set to be organised by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA).
Information sessions are scheduled to be held from 27 February to 1 March as part of the consultation.
The environmental impact assessment was conducted by MPA in partnership with SNC-Lavalin and primarily covered five issues, namely road and rail traffic, the environment (water and land), marine transportation, economic benefits, and the impacts of the terminal project on neighbouring communities.
MPA Public Affairs vice-president Sophie Roux said: “For the MPA, an open, transparent information and consultation process is an essential condition for the success of the project and its integration into the community, on the same level as a rigorous approach to the environmental impact analysis and technical planning.”
The proposed terminal at Contrecœur is expected to support the growth of the region’s container market, which currently generates economic development for Montreal, Quebec and Eastern Canada.
Construction work on the terminal is expected to begin in 2020, subject the receipt of permits and other considerations.
The facility is set to bring the Port of Montreal’s total container handling capacity to 2.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The terminal is planned to be commissioned in 2023.
