THE PORT OF QUÉBEC WILL DEVELOP A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS

01/08/2015

Québec, January 8, 2015 – As part of the reception held for the awarding of the 2015 gold-headed cane to inaugurate the start of a new year at the port, Mario Girard, President and CEO of the Port of Québec, announced the implementation over the next few weeks of a new environmental impact assessment process for all projects carried out on port territory. 

This new procedure, inspired by the best approaches to sustainable development around the world, will be an effective tool to ensure that port projects meet the strictest requirements in terms of social responsibility. This procedure is part of the goal of adhering to best environmental practices that was expressed by Mr. Girard when he became port CEO in January 2011. It is also an integral component of the recently announced sustainable development action plan.

The three pillars of this new procedure will be:

• The obligation to inform and involve citizens in various ways
• The obligation to use an independent firm to produce environmental impact studies
• The obligation for the proponent to consider the input of citizens

“This new process will provide the port with an innovative and ambitious formal mechanism for assessing the environmental impacts of all applicable projects that will be carried out on Port of Québec territory,” said Mr. Girard.

This rigorous process will include the mandatory use of independent parties to assess environmental risks. Through the systematic use of citizen involvement, this procedure will definitely give added value to all port projects.

This process will be mandatory for all applicable projects. It will give a concrete demonstration of our desire to go beyond the legal requirements to which we are subject.

“The Port of Québec fully embraces best practices in sustainable development, and this approach will be the cornerstone for the development of all port projects to come,” concluded Mr. Girard.

The Port of Québec brings significant economic benefits to the Québec region, with some $25 billion in cargo crossing its docks each year. The cruise ship sector brings in $25 million for the city of Québec. Each commercial ship docked at the port injects an average of $600,000 into the economy, primarily in the Québec region. Finally, the port plays the role of a maritime hub, creating 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in the Québec region according to the most recent study by SECOR.

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Source:

Anick Métivier
Assistant Director, Sustainable Development and Community Relations
Québec Port Authority
418-648-3640
[email protected]