Minister's Response

Project

Meltech Innovation Canada Inc. is proposing the construction and operation of an industrial building on a 15,500 square metre lot, located on the Chemin de l'Aviation in Montreal, Quebec (the Project). The land is located north of the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport on Transport Canada land administered by Aéroports de Montréal. The site has been unused since 2016 and is located on the site of two former fairways of an existing golf course, adjacent to its southern boundary that is also part of federal lands. The building would be approximately 3,400 square metres and would be used to produce rolls of non-woven fabric from polypropylene granules and additives required for the manufacturing of personal protective masks. Annual production is estimated at 1,920 metric tonnes of textile.

Decision

Non-designated project

Reasons

Pursuant to section 9 of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA), I, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, considered the potential for the Project to cause adverse environmental effects within federal jurisdiction, adverse direct or incidental effects, and public concerns related to these effects. I have also considered the potential adverse impacts that the Project may have on the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, including Indigenous women, as recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. I also took into account the analysis of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

I am of the view that the designation of the Project is not warranted for the following reasons:

• The determination process under section 82 of the IAA that applies to the Project provides a framework for considering potential adverse effects (e.g. on migratory birds, species at risk, including the monarch butterfly, and wetlands) and adverse impacts on the rights of Indigenous peoples. This framework also allows for identification of measures to eliminate, reduce, limit, or offset these effects and thereby address concerns raised by the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the public.
• Provincial and municipal permits and approvals that may be required for the Project, pursuant to Quebec's Cultural Heritage Act and the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal's Règlement sur les rejets à l'atmosphère et sur la délégation de son application, provide a framework to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the above-mentioned potential adverse effects and address concerns raised by Indigenous peoples and the public.
• The Project must comply with relevant provisions of federal legislation, including the Fisheries Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, the Species at Risk Act, and the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.
• Direct or incidental effects related to the powers, duties or functions to be exercised by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada would be limited or resolved through project design, implementation of standard mitigation measures, and existing legislative mechanisms.
• The Proponent must comply with the requirements of Aéroports de Montréal to address any potential adverse effects on federal lands.
• The Proponent must comply with the environmental clauses in the contribution agreement signed in June 2021 with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.