Northvolt resumes work in Montérégie

After several postponements of the hearing, Quebec Superior Court on Friday rejected a request for an injunction aimed at blocking work at the site of Northvolt's future battery plant in Montérégie.

Judge David Collier ruled that the Quebec Environmental Law Center – which initiated the application for an injunction with three citizens – would not have succeeded in presenting serious arguments that would allow one to doubt, prima facie, the validity of the ministerial authorization and municipal authorization. In a 13-page decision.

According to the organization, the fact that “the destruction of wetlands in the same location as part of a previous project was rejected” should be the same this time.

However, the court ruled that the decision of the municipality of Saint-Basile-le-Grand to issue a tree felling permit was not unreasonable.

Resumes work

After learning of the ruling, Northvolt decided to continue its preparatory work on Friday, which had been suspended pending the hearing.

The Swedish company indicated that it “took note of the Supreme Court's decision confirming the validity of the permits obtained by the regulatory authorities.”

“It is important to remember that to move forward, Northvolt had to rigorously and seriously prove to experts from MELCCFP and the city of Saint-Basile-le-Grand that our project complies with applicable environmental regulations,” the company emphasized in a press release.

The Swedish company plans to cut down 8,730 live trees and remove 5,365 dead trees on the grounds of its future factory in Saint-Basile-le-Grand.