(Montreal) Toxic substances, which come from another era, would flow into the Richelieu River from the Northvolt site in Montérégie, according to organizations which presented their results Monday morning in Montreal. These conclusions are, however, categorically rejected by the company, which maintains that it takes all precautions to avoid contamination of runoff water.
Posted at 10:14 a.m.
Updated at 5:29 p.m.
Stéphane Blais
The Canadian Press
The Citizen Action Committee-Northvolt Project (CAC), the Society to Overcome Pollution (SVP) and the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP Quebec) had samples of water and sediments allegedly from the Northvolt site analyzed. by a certified laboratory.
The samples analyzed “suggest that the construction work at the Northvolt factory” encouraged the release into the Richelieu River of various contaminants from the former industrial site, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic and carcinogenic substances.
Northvolt denies results
Northvolt rejects the conclusions of environmental organizations.
“Their sampling was done off-site,” said Valérie Hébert, environmental manager for Northvolt, in an interview with The Canadian Press.
There may therefore, according to her, have been contamination “by agricultural land” nearby or “by runoff water along the CN rails”, or “it may be influenced by runoff water from the road , nearby, in which there may be a contaminant.”
Mme Hébert referred to possible contamination of the samples by the road, because the Chemin du Richelieu, which runs along the river, separates the Northvolt site and the places where certain samples were collected by citizens.
“Since work began, Northvolt has analyzed 27 samples of water flowing off its site for PAHs. None of these samples exceeds the criterion for discharge into the Richelieu River determined by the MELLCFP for anthracene,” argued the environment manager for Northvolt.
“We sampled at the exit of our site and they sampled outside the site,” she added.
Valérie Hébert also explained that runoff from the site under construction is directed to a retention basin whose size is sufficient to capture all of the runoff and thus avoid flash flooding.
A site saturated with water during heavy rains
Before Northvolt reacted, ecotoxicologist at the Society to Overcome Pollution Daniel Green explained that he had observed runoff from the Northvolt construction site based on satellite photos and photos from drones.
He specified that aerial photos taken after heavy rains in June and August 2024 show “that the site is saturated with water, waterlogged” and that we “see traces of water of runoff heading into the Richelieu River” from the plant under construction.
He explained that samples of water and sediment, from runoff, were collected in September 2024 by the group of citizens along the shoreline of the Richelieu River.
“There is discharge from the site, it is visible, we have sampled discharge” and “there is discharge from the site which contaminates the environment. This is what our data demonstrates,” said Daniel Green during a press conference Monday morning.
The biologist and general director of SNAP Quebec, Alain Branchaud, added that “Northvolt is making efforts to prevent the release of contaminants.” But “is she doing enough?” The answer is no.”
Anthracene and the copper redhorse
One of the places where the sediment samples were collected by citizens is at the outlet of a “discharge pipe” which flows a few meters from the Richelieu River, just outside the Northvolt land, explained SVP co-president Daniel Green.
At this location, concentrations of 2 mg/kg of anthracene (a type of PAH) were observed, i.e. 8.2 times more than the CEP criterion for the protection of aquatic life.
The CEP of anthracene for aquatic life is 0.24 according to a joint document from the two environment ministries.
The CEP criterion corresponds to the concentration beyond which “adverse effects are frequently observed” for aquatic species.
“We question the relevance of comparing the results of analysis of solids found in a pipe with the criteria applicable to sediments,” retorted Valérie Hébert, adding that “if we instead use the criteria applicable to soils , a concentration of 2 mg/kg of anthracene does not exceed the contamination threshold.
Copper Knight
The Richelieu River is the “first victim of this industrial contamination,” according to SNAP Quebec.
“We are particularly concerned about the emergence of a new threat to the survival and recovery of the copper redhorse,” said Alain Branchaud of SNAP Quebec.
This fish exists nowhere else in the world except in Quebec, in the area between Lake Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-Pierre and particularly in the estuary of the Richelieu River.
The three organizations are calling for “the handling of toxicological analyzes by the two ministries of the Environment” and also “the establishment of a water containment and treatment system to avoid contamination of the Richelieu River” .
Methodology and citizen approach
Ecotoxicologist Daniel Green explained that he applied the sediment and surface water sampling protocol of the Quebec Ministry of the Environment and organized training for citizens “to show them how to sample”.
The citizens used “sealed bottles, provided by the laboratory” which analyzed the samples.
“What is interesting about using citizens is that they know the area, they pass Northvolt every day” and “if we identified leaks, it is because the citizens told us “It’s flowing there!” “, explained Mr. Green.
The contaminants, he said, have been on the site since the days when it was owned by the CIL company, but it is Northvolt’s work, he said, that allows the contaminants to escape from the site and to reach the river, particularly because many trees have been cut down.
“It’s a citizen initiative, it’s citizen funds that made it possible to do the sampling,” but “it’s not up to us to do that,” but up to the government, for her part denounced Arianne Labonté, member of the citizens committee.
A past that resurfaces
The land where Northvolt intends to establish itself in Montérégie has long been an industrial site.
Throughout the 20e century, the land was owned by explosives production companies.
The municipality of McMasterville was also named in honor of William McMaster, first president of the Canadian Explosives Company in 1910.
In the 2000s, and until 2015, the site was used by chemical and paint manufacturing companies.
During this same period, it was also the subject of decontamination and revegetation work.
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