Turcot Complex reconstruction project Environmental Impact Study Summary Date: March 2009 Project No.: 154-030636 File No.: 8505-06-AC01 O/Ref.: D: 068-P013202 / SM: F074199-100 Turcot Complex reconstruction project Environmental Impact Study Summary TURCOT COMPLEX RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT Project No.: 154-030636 File No.: 8505-06-AC01 ISBN 978-2-550-55163-8 (print version) ISBN 978-2-550-55164-5 (PDF) Environmental Impact Study Summary March 2009 ISBN 978-2-550-55163-8 (print version) ISBN 978-2-550-55164-5 (PDF) Copyright deposit – Library and National Archives of Quebec, 2009 Copyright deposit – Library and Archives Canada, 2009 Turcot Complex reconstruction project Environmental Impact Study Summary TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 1. THE PROPONENT AND ITS PROJECT .............................................................................. 5 1.1 ENVIRONMENTAL UNDERTAKINGS ....................................................................... 5 1.2 PROJECT CONTEXT AND RATIONALE .................................................................. 5 1.3 SOLUTIONS AND SCENARIOS STUDIED ............................................................... 9 1.4 OPTIMIZATION AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE SELECTED SCENARIO ............... 9 1.5 PROJECT DESCRIPTION........................................................................................ 10 1.5.1 Land acquisition ........................................................................................................ 17 1.5.2 Drainage.................................................................................................................... 17 1.5.3 Implementation and work phases.............................................................................. 18 1.5.4 Construction schedule............................................................................................... 18 1.5.5 Costs ......................................................................................................................... 18 2. CONSULTATION WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERS ............................ 19 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE SETTING ..................................................................................... 21 3.1 HUMAN SETTING .................................................................................................... 25 3.1.1 Administrative context ............................................................................................... 25 3.1.2 Demographic context ................................................................................................ 25 3.1.3 Transportation ........................................................................................................... 25 3.1.4 Current land use........................................................................................................ 25 3.1.4.1 Built-up environment ........................................................................................... 25 3.1.4.2 Recreational equipment and other public materiel .............................................. 29 3.1.4.3 Archeological, historic and cultural heritage........................................................ 29 3.1.4.4 Extraction ............................................................................................................ 30 3.1.4.5 Infrastructures ..................................................................................................... 30 3.1.5 Development projects................................................................................................ 32 3.1.6 Current traffic conditions ........................................................................................... 32 3.1.6.1 Mean daily traffic volumes in 2002-2003............................................................. 32 3.1.6.2 Traffic conditions in 2002-2003 ........................................................................... 33 3.1.6.3 Road safety ......................................................................................................... 33 March 2009 Page i Turcot Complex reconstruction project Environmental Impact Study Summary 3.2 PHYSICAL SETTING................................................................................................ 34 3.2.1 Physiography............................................................................................................. 34 3.2.2 Hydrography.............................................................................................................. 34 3.2.3 Air quality................................................................................................................... 35 3.2.3.1 Weather data....................................................................................................... 35 3.2.3.2 Current air quality in Montréal ............................................................................. 35 3.2.4 Meteorological conditions.......................................................................................... 36 3.2.5 Nature of banks, flood zones and ground movement................................................ 36 3.2.6 Quality of soil and groundwater................................................................................. 37 3.3 BIOLOGICAL SETTING ........................................................................................... 37 3.3.1 Vegetation ................................................................................................................. 38 3.3.1.1 Wooded areas ..................................................................................................... 38 3.3.1.2 Wetlands and aquatic areas................................................................................ 38 3.3.1.3 Endangered, threatened plants or those likely to become so.............................. 38 3.3.2 Fauna ........................................................................................................................ 38 3.3.2.1 Fauna without special status ............................................................................... 38 3.3.2.2 Fauna species with special status....................................................................... 39 3.4 NOISE ENVIRONMENT............................................................................................ 40 3.5 VISUAL SETTING..................................................................................................... 42 4. TRAFFIC ANALYSIS COMPARING THE REFERENCE SCENARIO (STATUS QUO) AND THE SCENARIO SELECTED FOR 2016 ................................................................... 43 5. IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS AND MITIGATION METHODS .... 45 5.1 METHOD FOR ASSESSING IMPACTS ON NATURAL AND HUMAN SETTINGS 45 5.2 POTENTIAL IMPACTS............................................................................................. 45 5.2.1 Impact on noise levels............................................................................................... 46 5.2.2 Impact on air quality .................................................................................................. 46 5.3 MITIGATION MEASURES........................................................................................ 47 5.3.1 During the design phase ........................................................................................... 47 5.3.2 During construction ................................................................................................... 51 5.3.3 During the operation period....................................................................................... 55 5.4 SUMMARY OF RESIDUAL IMPACTS ..................................................................... 56 5.5 SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS................................................................ 71 5.6 SUMMARY OF PROJECT IMPACTS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT....... 72 6. ACCIDENTS AND FAILURES............................................................................................ 73 March 2009 Page ii Turcot Complex reconstruction project Environmental Impact Study Summary 7. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND FOLLOW-UP PROGRAMS ............................... 75 7.1 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM....................................................... 75 7.2 ENVIRONMENTAL FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM ........................................................ 76 8. EMERGENCY MEASURES PLAN ..................................................................................... 77 8.1 EMERGENCY SITUATIONS .................................................................................... 77 8.2 CAPACITY TO RESPOND AND INTERVENTION METHODS................................ 77 8.2.1 Ministère des Transports........................................................................................... 77 8.2.2 Ville de Montréal and reconstituted cities of the Montréal agglomeration ................. 78 8.3 ROADS TO BE USED IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY .......................................... 78 9. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 79 TABLES TABLE 1: IMPACT SUMMARY AT THE PRECONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE ...............................................................................57 TABLE 2: IMPACT SUMMARY AT THE OPERATIONS PHASE ....................................63 TABLE 3: PROPOSED FOLLOW-UP PROGRAMS