A translation by Judith Turcotte.
The ports, built along the St. Lawrence, require dredging to ensure the continuity of operations and the security of the ships. The dredging at the port of Gros-Cacouna is a good example. The port is situated 215 kilometres downstream from Québec City on the south shore of the river facing the entrance to the Saguenay River. The port is important for the region and is used for the transport of dry bulk, wind turbine components, explosives and forest products. The port, at its origin, benefited from a depth of its waters of twelve metres, today, this depth is now eight metres thus the need for dredging. The government authorities are aware that this will be the subject of criticism. They have therefore developed a strategy to counter recriminations.
As it has now become routine, the government authorities have planned a public consultation; they will not be able to be accused of a lack of transparency. Theses consultations, despite their name, are used to inform and not to consult. The necessity of maintenance dredging is not in question; however, some environmental impacts are discussed. Among the impacts, we find underwater noise which represents a problem for the beluga whales. During the consultation, the environmental coordinator of the Société portuaire du Bas-Saint-Laurent et de la Gaspésie (SPBSLG) reassured the audience by explaining that they had the means to determine the presence of beluga whales in a precise area by capturing particular sounds emitted by the whales; as soon as the presence of the whales is identified, the dredging will stop. What happens to the other species?
Other than the noise, these dredging projects generate an important quantity of contaminated sediments which will be disposed in open water. When released, this matter remains suspended in a habitat where a wide variety of species live. The dredging project is spread out over 10 years and is scheduled to start in 2025. The first phase will generate 60,000 cubic metres of sediment equivalent to 6000 ten-wheeler trucks. The chosen location for these discharges in the river is situated in a zone which will become part of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, a marine protected area.
Why dispose of the dredged contaminated sediments in open water and why in a marine park? Could they not be disposed on land? In Europe, there exists a regulation which foresees that the contaminated sediments cannot be discharged in a marine environment. This regulation raises important technological, economic and environmental challenges facing the removal of contaminants present in the sediments. Once cleaned, the sediments can be used in the construction of roads, cement and bricks. These solutions are costly and in Québec, the trend is limited to the analysis of the consequences of these discharges that only perpetuate the contamination. According to the SPBSLG, there are no recovery projects to improve dredging residue in Québec except in the Magdalen Islands where the residue is sandy in nature.
The ports represent a dichotomy between the economic development of a city and the impact on the ecosystem of the St. Lawrence River. The economic development is a priority, the impact on the ecosystem is not.