Press Release

Montreal, Quebec, February 1, 2010 – Steven Blaney, MP for Lévis-Bellechasse, and Line Beauchamp, Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks, are pleased today to announce their support for four green infrastructure projects in the Greater Montreal Region. The projects represent a total investment of nearly $559M for the region. To carry out the projects, the Government of Canada is contributing up to a third of eligible costs, a total of up to $150M. The Quebec contribution, in the order of $165M, is in addition to the contributions from the target municipalities.

The projects, to be carried out in the Greater Montreal region, involve the construction of organic waste treatment systems.

"Today’s announcement is a concrete expression of our government’s commitment to combine environmental concerns with economic imperatives. These green biomethanation projects in the Greater Montreal region will boost the economy and create jobs for Quebecers while promoting cleaner, greener living," said Mr Blaney. “As we start the second phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our priorities will be to continue its fast implementation and to implement  the remaining projects under the Stimulus Fund across the country. Once the economy is growing again, we will work on reducing the deficit and establishing a sound foundation for creating jobs and for economic growth.”

“These projects will not only create jobs, one of the top priorities for our government, but they will also help to attain the objectives of our climate change action plan, our energy strategy and our very recent Draft Policy on Residual Material, which provides for a ban on organic matter in landfill sites within ten years. Today we are taking a giant step toward a greener economy and the creation of a waste-free, low carbon society,” said Minister Beauchamp.

Green project in Montreal

The Government of Canada is to provide a maximum contribution of $67,068,916 for the collection and treatment of organic waste in Montreal, while the Government of Quebec will provide a total in the order of $68.5M. The project, to cost an estimated $215.5M, includes the construction of two systems to treat organic waste through anaerobic digestion, two composting centres and a pilot centre for the pre-treatment of organic waste.

In addition, three other projects for the construction of organic waste treatment systems, in Laval, Longueuil and the southern rim of Montreal, will receive federal funding. The Government of Canada has set aside a maximum contribution of $83,112,791 for these three projects, and the Government of Quebec an amount in the order of $96.3M.

The Government of Canada’s contribution to these projects comes from the new, $1 billion, five-year, nation-wide Green Infrastructure Fund, part of Canada's Economic Action Plan announced in the January 2009 budget. This Fund supports sustainable energy generation and transmission, along with municipal wastewater and solid waste management infrastructure. The federal Government is working with provinces, territories and other stakeholders to identify and approve more projects under this Fund.

Quebec’s financial assistance is being provided under the Program for processing organic matter using biomethanation and composting. This program provides for a total investment in the order of $650M, including over $187M from the Government of Quebec to fund these and future projects. Projects funded under the program will create about 5,200 direct and indirect jobs. The goal of the program is to implement the key components of Quebec’s new Policy on the Management of Residual Materials by gradually banning the burial of organic matter by 2020 while contributing to attainment of Quebec’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The federal government is evaluating other biomethanation projects which could take place in Quebec under the Green Infrastructure Fund. The total federal investment in biomethanation projects could reach more than $170M.

To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit http://www.actionplan.gc.ca. For more information on the federal government’s infrastructure investments, visit http://www.creatingjobs.gc.ca/. The Web site at www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca provides information on Government of Quebec investment in infrastructure.

Information on the Program for processing organic matter using biomethanation and composting is available at www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/programmes/biomethanisation. 

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