Chronology of Environmental Assessment of Great Whale
Project
April 1971:
Premier Robert Bourassa announces decision to develop hydroelectric
potential of James Bay basin.
Fall 1971:
Start of road construction to link La Grande 2 site with South.
November 1975:
The James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement signed.
March 1989:
Hydro-Quebec announces Great Whale project. Construction to start
in 1991 with power production by 1998.
May 1989:
Cree launch the first of a many lawsuits to block Great Whale project.
June 1989:
Ottawa announces that Great Whale project must meet federal environmental
standards because project may affect areas of federal responsibility like
migratory birds. Quebec disagrees, insisting project is its sole responsibility
but late in the year, Quebec and Ottawa begin talks about a joint review.
April 1990:
Cree file for a permanent injunction to block the Great Whale project,
saying that project cannot proceed without their consent.
October 1990:
Conflict between Quebec energy minister Lise Bacon and environment
minister Pierre Paradis about environmental assessment. Bacon wants to
split assessment of access infrastructure from project itself, Paradis
wants unified review.
October 1990:
Federal Environment Minister de Cotret acknowledges that Ottawa
may have to accept Quebec's plan to split environmental impact hearing
into two parts.
October 1990:
Grand Council of the Crees, three environmental groups, and Canadian
Arctic Resources Committee ask the Supreme Court to issue a permanent injunction
against Quebec Environment Minister and other government officials to keep
them from splitting environmental impact hearings.
November 1990:
Pierre Paradis agrees to separate environmental assessment of roads
and project.
December 1990:
Hydro-Quebec tables an environmental impact study of roads to be
reviewed by Comex and Kativik Environmental Quality Commission.
February 1991:
Kativik Environmental Quality Commission and Comex state that Hydro-Quebec
has provided them with insufficient information to review impacts of infrastructure
construction.
February 1991:
Federal and provincial governments agree to a joint environmental
study of Great Whale project that excludes roads, airports and other infrastructure
needed to build Great Whale complex.
February 1991:
Grand Council of the Crees take legal action against Ray Robinson,
chairperson of the Federal Environmental Assessment Review Office, to force
federal government to carry out and environmental assessment of Great Whale
project under the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA).
Spring 1991:
Federal court rules that JBNQA is not just a contract between federal
government, provincial government, Cree and Inuit, but federal law. Court
decision legally binds Ottawa to conduct environmental impact hearings.
May 1991:
Pierre Paradis announces public hearings into construction of roads
and airports for Great Whale project.
July 1991:
Ottawa announces it will do an environmental review of entire project
on its own, making the February agreement with Quebec null and void.
August 1991:
Quebec decides to undertake two separate but simultaneous environmental
reviews of the infrastructure and the project itself.
August 1991:
Robert Bourassa announces that construction of Great Whale project
will be delayed for one year due to reduced demand by a major potential
purchaser of power, the New York Power Authority.
October 1991:
Quebec agrees to undertake a joint provincial-federal environmental
assessment of Great Whale project, including access infrastructure.
January 1992:
Memorandum of Understanding (MOW) signed between the governments
of Quebec and Canada, Cree Regional Authority, Makavik Corporation, Kativik
Regional Government, and Grand Council of the Crees to coordinate and harmonize
the environmental assessment and review process of Great Whale Project.
At same time, letter signed by all participants except two governments
providing for a preferential forum to exchange documents concerning economic
justification of project.
February and March 1992:
Public hearings on scope of Great Whale project impact study held
in Val D'Or, Chisasibi, Kuujjuarapik-Whapmagoostui, Sanikiluaq, and Montreal.
September 1992:
Guidelines for the EIS of the Great Whale hydroelectric project
issued.
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