The contentious Hydro Quebec power line project in Dollard-des-Ormeaux is closer to becoming a reality after BAPE, Quebec’s environmental assessment board, published their recommendations on Thursday.
The city of Dollard-des-Ormeaux and Hydro Quebec have been in disagreement over how new power lines at the Saint John’s Boulevard substation should be built.
Both sides agree that the substation needs to be upgraded to meet the West Island’s demand for energy, but Hydro Quebec wants to build 52-metre towers for the power lines next to the existing 40-metre infrastructure.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux, on the other hand, want Hydro Quebec to build underground, citing health problem and depreciating property value as principle concerns.
READ MORE: DDO residents adding pressure to change Hydro-Quebec power line project
The lines would distribute 315 kilovolts of electricity and one line would be used as a distributor.
In the report, the BAPE recommended that both sides should form a committee and collaborate on the project.
They also acknowledged that property values could take a hit but said that there is not enough conclusive evidence that health is going to be negatively impacted Electro Magnetic Fields.
As the opposition to the current Hydro Quebec project point out though, the BAPE doesn’t say there isn’t any conclusive evidence that says health conditions could not deteriorate.
According to Hydro Quebec the current plan is said to cost $14 million, and building underground will cost $60 million.
“Hydro Quebec is satisfied with the conclusion of the BAPE report on the Saint John project,” Jean-Philippe Rousseau, spokesperson for Hydro Quebec said.
However, the residents, backed by DDO council, are not satisfied.
Lynnette Gilbeau, of the citizen group Build It Underground DDO, believes Hydro Quebec is overestimating the cost of the project.
“Precedent setting projects like the one in Limoilou, Quebec, where they installed a 230 kilovolt line underground is a much more complicated trajectory than this was installed at fraction of the cost,” Gilbeau said. “When we were initially given costing estimates and we’ve asked for costing estimates repeatedly from Hydro Quebec, we were given initially a four line cost break down. The BAPE also requested more detailed costing.”
DDO councillor Morris Vesely also alleged there are problems in transparency.
“Originally they told us that these lines were going to be distribution lines,” Vesely said.
“They’re now turning out to be transport lines. We never talked about transport lines. Transport lines are going to carry tenfold the amount of electricity than they originally talked about. That means 10 times the noise, 10 times the Electro Magnetic Fields.”
Hydro Quebec spokesperson Rousseau said they are ready to share all documents related to the construction of the project and that forming a committee to collaborate is something they are behind.
“Hydro Quebec will continue to work with the town of Dollard-des-Ormeaux and its residents to carry out the best possible project,” Rousseau said.
Vesely would be happy meeting with Hydro Quebec, but thinks the committee format needs to changes.
Hydro Quebec is expecting to start construction in 2017 with the power lines ready for service by 2019.
The final decision will have to be approved by the provincial government.
Comments