Canada/Hydrogen pipeline project: Gatineau considers its options
Eight months later, Ville de Gatineau is still waiting for Québec to act on its request to submit the hydrogen pipeline project in the Buckingham sector to the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE).
Elected officials and citizens are getting impatient. They are even considering alternative solutions.
Councillor Edmond Leclerc will be tabling a draft resolution to regulate high-pressure gas lines in residential areas at the next municipal council meeting in June. He made the announcement on Tuesday evening, with the support of Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette.
Mayor Marquis-Bissonnette asserts that Gatineau has followed up closely with the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) on several occasions since last September. At the time, municipal council members voted unanimously to impose a BAPE due to citizens' fears for their safety in the face of the Enbridge Gaz Québec project.
Unfortunately, we're not getting quite the answers we'd like," confirms Ms. Marquis-Bissonnette.
Quebec has changed environment ministers several times since Gatineau's initial request, going from Bernard Drainville to Benoit Charette, then Pascale Déry.
In a written response sent to Radio-Canada at the end of last summer, the MELCCFP indicated that no BAPE was possible, since the file in question had been submitted to the Minister of the Environment.was possible, since the file in question is not subject to the environmental impact assessment and review procedure (PÉEIE).
Given that the project continues to move forward, one of the possibilities is that we, the city, look at how, in our regulations, we are able to regulate hydrogen pipelines? We're not against hydrogen pipelines. But we still have to ensure the safety of a project like this," notes the mayor.
Embridge Gaz Québec is pleased to see the environmental, economic and innovative benefits of its hydrogen project recognized, in a written statement Wednesday, and welcomes with surprise the resolution initiative tabled by Councillor Edmond Leclerc and supported by the Mayor of Gatineau. The company indicates that it will be able to comment further after reviewing the resolution.
Following the precautionary principle
According to Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, it's a good idea to follow the precautionary principle in this matter. She points out that Gatineau finds itself in uncharted territory for a Quebec municipality.
Enbridge Gaz hopes to build and operate the first 100% hydrogen pipeline in the Outaouais region over a maximum distance of 22 km, according to a presentation published on the Régie de l'énergie du Québec website.
The hydrogen gas would flow from the ERCO Mondial plant in the Buckingham sector to two locations near the Gatineau airport and the Masson-Angers sector.
Embridge Gaz Québec reports that the pipeline design has not yet been finalized. The project also remains subject to review by regulatory bodies, notably the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. Initial work with the RBQ is ongoing.
The Buckingham Residents' Association (ARB) has often denounced the chosen route.
Even if incidents are rare, the consequences can be major and very serious when these pipes pass close to homes, schools, daycare centers, heritage sites and seniors' residences," Véronique Santos, spokesperson for the ARB, reminded members of the municipal council on Tuesday.
She and her colleagues welcome the filing of the notice of proposal by Edmond Leclerc, who has represented the population of the Buckingham district since 2021.
It's not enough to verify whether a project is compliant, but we must also assess whether its implementation is compatible with local realities and living environments. This approach is fully in line with Gatineau's role in public safety and with the orientations of the municipal civil protection plan, including the point of prevention," said Ms. Santos.
Gatineau could be a pioneer in the supervision of gas pipes. This is no mean feat, she pointed out.
Embridge says it remains in contact with the Buckingham Residents' Association and is planning an upcoming meeting, during which our experts could discuss the methodology and results of the risk analysis with the experts mandated by the ARB.
Setting an example
For his part, Edmond Leclerc pointed out that there are regulatory frameworks for buildings of all kinds at the provincial level.
But on our territory, responsibility for the safety of citizens and property lies with us," he said. I think we have to be exemplary in this area," pleaded the independent elected official.
Mitigomijokan District Councillor and Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Commission, Rachel Deslauriers, acknowledges that many new technologies are emerging with interesting possibilities from an economic development and even environmental standpoint.
However, it's very important to seize these opportunities with caution, while being certain that we're protecting civil society and property," noted Ms. Deslauriers.
Embridge says it has always wanted to move forward, together with the city, in the energy transition with the development of local projects [...] in a spirit of openness, transparency and collaboration.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
