The Northvolt company has announced that it will comply with a court request for an injunction and stop construction work on its future battery factory in Montérégie.
“Out of respect for the ongoing legal proceedings, we have decided to stop work on the site this afternoon. “Our legal representatives will appear in court tomorrow to make Northvolt’s position heard,” the company said in an email to the QMI agency late Thursday. “We have demonstrated that our projects meet some of the highest standards in the world and we intend to continue to comply with current environmental regulations.”
The Quebec Environmental Law Center (CQDE), supported by three citizens, announced the same day that it had filed an application with the Quebec Supreme Court for an injunction to stop the work.
The CQDE regrets that a few months ago “the destruction of wetlands on the same site was rejected as part of a previous project” and believes that this appears to be a case of “double standards”.
“While the felling of trees has been observed and the destruction of wetlands that protect the habitat of species in precarious situations is imminent, the CQDE calls for the suspension of these works, which are of concern for biodiversity,” the organization said in a press release.
The hearing on that appeal is scheduled to take place Friday morning at the Montreal courthouse.
8,730 trees need to be removed
Recall that the Swedish company Northvolt plans to cut down 8,730 live trees and remove 5,365 dead trees on the site of its future factory in Saint-Basile-le-Grand, on the south coast of Montreal.
Northvolt claims that it has a permit for interventions in wet and aquatic environments issued by the Ministry of Environment, Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, as well as a tree felling permit issued by the municipality.
Last September, Le Journal de Montréal reported on the fears of residents who refused to see one of the world's largest battery factories land near their homes.