Site Inventory and Final Waste Management - The BAPE Gives Citizens a Voice - Important Dates to Remember

QUÉBEC CITY, Feb. 21, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The current status and management of final waste commission will begin its work on March 8, 2021. Citizens and groups who wish to join this initiative to help the Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Mr. Benoit Charette, in the elaboration of a long-term strategy for the management of final waste throughout Québec, should keep in mind several important dates.

"Public participation is crucial for the commission of inquiry. It gives us the opportunity to hear a variety of arguments, opinions and suggestions from the participants that improve our ideas. Involvement in the BAPE's work gives citizens a chance to express their point of view, to be heard and to contribute to the choice of orientations that will help to determine the future management of final waste in Quebec", said Commissioner Pierre Renaud.

The Public Preparatory Meeting

This public preparatory meeting is intended for all those who want to learn more about the consultation sessions and obtain advice to help them prepare their intervention before the commission. The meeting will be held on March 10 at 7 p.m. and will be webcast on the BAPE's Facebook page.

The Public Hearing

The first part of the public hearing will provide information on issues related to final waste management and invite questions. It will be structured in such a way as to present not only general information on final waste management, but also in different regional and territorial contexts.  There will therefore be three groupings:

• Grouping 1: Montreal, Outaouais, Laurentians, Laval, Lanaudière and Montérégie
• Grouping 2:
• 2a: Capitale-Nationale and its neighbouring regions - Mauricie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Chaudière-Appalaches
• 2b: Estrie, Centre-du-Québec, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Côte-Nord, Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Grouping 3: Nord-du-Québec and other sparsely populated, remote or isolated territories served by trench landfills.

The public sessions will be held starting March 23, 2021 as presented in the table below. Please note that additional sessions may be held as required.

The second part of the public hearing will provide an opportunity to express opinions. The public sessions will begin on May 25 at 7 p.m.

Discussion and Reflection Workshops

Discussion workshops with agencies and organizations that understand the issues involved in managing final waste and want to share their thoughts will be held starting in mid-April (see table below), between the two sessions of the public hearing in order to help make the most of the information. These workshops will be public in nature but will not allow for public intervention.

*Workshop in English and French

The Citizens' Assembly

The citizens' assembly will allow the commission of inquiry to obtain feedback from a group of citizens representative of Québec society on issues stemming from the commission's work, including issues where a citizen's input would enrich the information requested in its mandate. The assembly will begin its work in May and June. Details regarding this assembly will be published shortly.

Consultation with Indigenous Communities

In addition to these consultation platforms in which members and organizations of Indigenous communities can participate, the Commission of Inquiry is currently in discussion with the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment (JBACE), the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee (KEAC) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute (FNQLSDI) in order to decide on the most appropriate methods of consultation for the Indigenous communities in the territory covered by the agreement and in southern Québec.

The Mode of Participation

In view of the health rules still in force to curb the spread of the pandemic, public sessions will be held virtually until further notice. They can be followed live on the BAPE website and on its Facebook page. They will then be available for replay.

SOURCE Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement