Organizations and citizens are asking the federal environment minister to launch an environmental impact study of the Lac-Mégantic rail bypass project. They are particularly concerned about the impact on drinking water resources and wetlands.
They sent a letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault yesterday, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press.
An independent impact assessment is requested, while "no independent and thorough environmental assessment has been conducted," it says.
Among other criticisms of the project, the safety level of the bypass route is deemed inferior to that of the current route. They also argue that the cost of the project has ballooned from $133 million in 2019 to nearly $1 billion in 2022.
The municipality of Frontenac, the Syndicat des Producteurs forestiers du Sud du Québec, the Fédération de l'Union des producteurs agricoles de l'Estrie, Eau Secours, the Conseil régional de l'environnement de l'Estrie, and the Coalition des Victimes collatérales are all lining up to denounce the chosen route, which experts say is not the best one.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 7, 2023.
