A company ordered to stop “illegal” work in wetlands in Rimouski

The Quebec Ministry of the Environment has ordered Excavations Léon Chouinard et fils to stop work affecting wetlands east of Rimouski. It accuses the company of carrying out deforestation and backfilling operations without authorization, a breach that the ministry describes as “serious” in an order issued on June 21.

Quebec demands the suspension of work affecting two lots adjacent to Chemin du Sommet for a period of 90 days or until obtaining […] of a ministerial authorization. The Ministry of the Environment, in a press release, judges that this work is illegal.

Excavations Léon Chouinard et fils carried out deforestation and backfilling works with clay soils in wooded peat bogs and potential tree-covered marshes […] without authorizationaccording to an inspection carried out last November by an official of the MELCCFPA landslide was even reported in the area to Urgence-Environnement on October 28.

Despite the transmission of notices of non-compliance to the Bas-Laurentian company as well as to the owners of the targeted sites in February, the work continued, reports the Regional Directorate of Environmental Control in Bas-Saint-Laurent in its order .

On June 13, a new visit by inspectors revealed November2023 has not been carried out”,”text”:”that no corrective measures to remedy the shortcomings noted on November 30, 2023 have been carried out”}}”>that no corrective measures to address the deficiencies noted on November 30, 2023 have been taken and that deforestation and backfilling in wetlands have not stopped, despite the absence of ministerial authorization. Barely four days later, Urgence-Environnement received a new report concerning the dumping of clay in a forest by around ten Excavations Léon Chouinard trucks.

When Radio-Canada visited the area Thursday morning, several trucks were going back and forth between the two targeted sites and the construction site where the Costco warehouse store will be built.

According to an interactive map from the Quebec government listing wetlands, a wooded peat bog with an area of ​​1.7 hectares stretches across the north of the two lots concerned.

This work also resulted in the release of a contaminant, namely clay material, the presence of which in the environment is likely to harm human comfort and well-being, cause damage or otherwise harm harm to the quality of the environment, ecosystems, living species or property.

The ministerial authorities believe thatThere is an urgent need to stop the workwhich they believe could cause serious or irreparable harm to the environment, or the destruction of wetlands. The ministry says it has received several reports regarding this work. A complaint was also sent to the City of Rimouski in this regard, but also for the inconvenience caused by the transport of soil by truck to the lots.

The City of Rimouski declined to comment. Excavations Léon Chouinard et fils did not respond to our written questions.

The order also indicates that the vice-president of the company confirmed to the MELCCFPduring an interview that took place shortly before the events of November 2023, that he was aware of the presence of wetlands on the work site. However, he said that he was relying on a field assessment carried out by an agronomist before the start of operations so that the layout of the excavated soils does not encroach on wetlands.

To date, no application to authorize backfilling in wetlands for these lots has been filed with the Ministry by any of the persons covered by this order. No recourse has been ruled out to ensure the return to compliance of this site., writes the ministry in a press release. He was not possible for the ministerial authorities to grant us an interview.