Let’s Talk Transportation: Environmental reports from the Lac-Mégantic Railway Bypass Project
On July 6, 2013, a freight train carrying 72 tank cars of crude oil, which was parked at the top of the hill in Nantes, Québec, started to roll and derailed in Lac-Mégantic, Québec, causing several tank cars to explode, leading to 47 fatalities.
On May 11, 2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Premier of Québec announced funding for a 12.5 km rail bypass project bypassing downtown Lac-Mégantic. The project’s main goal is to help the Lac-Mégantic community move forward and ease some of the trauma from the accident.
The new track will travel through the municipalities of Frontenac, Lac-Mégantic and Nantes between milepost 113.27 of the Moosehead subdivision and milepost 3.49 of the Sherbrooke subdivision.
To move ahead with the project, an application for authorization of construction must be submitted to the Canadian Transportation Agency, in accordance with section 98 of the Canada Transportation Act. Transport Canada and the railway operator are currently preparing the necessary documentation to submit the application to the Canadian Transportation Agency for the bypass project.
As part of the 2017 and 2019 process of the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement du Québec (BAPE), Transport Canada agreed to implement numerous mitigation measures and compensation measures to minimize the project's impact on the community and environment. Other measures were added following the initial hydrogeological study and consultation made in 2022.
These measures will help protect drinking water wells, wetlands, soils, soundscapes, wildlife, vegetation, agricultural and forest lands, and infrastructure. They will only be implemented if the Canadian Transportation Agency approves the project, and they may evolve as the project progresses.
A public consultation on the hydrogeological study was held in October and November 2022. During this consultation, the public provided feedback on the study, including the ways the project could impact groundwater and wetlands, and the mitigation and follow-up measures that could minimize those impacts.
Following the consultation, the project developed a wetlands monitoring plan and a groundwater and potable water well monitoring plan. The hydrogeological study was updated with the most recent field data and based on feedback received. To finalize the application, the project is providing another opportunity for feedback on three documents: the updated Hydrogeological report, the Wetlands Monitoring Plan, and the Groundwater and Potable Water Well Monitoring Plan.
Hydrogeological report
This report is an updated version of the existing hydrogeological study. This study assessed the hydrogeological properties of the aquifers (masses of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater) present in the area of works, specifically where soil and rock will need to be excavated during the construction of the bypass. The updated report explains how the maximum radius of influence was assessed to design and implement a monitoring program at locations where impacts might be observed. The new data shows how water levels in the study area vary over time. It also gives a better idea of which areas could be impacted by construction, reducing the estimates from the previous report.
Read a summary of the full hydrogeological report.
Wetlands monitoring plan
Transport Canada committed to implementing a Wetlands monitoring plan, with the objective to describe the initial state of wetlands before construction, to monitor the evolution throughout the construction work, and for up to 10 years following the work completion. The Wetlands monitoring plan has been developed as a key part of the project’s commitment. Its objective is to monitor and mitigate the environmental impacts on the wetlands located outside the rail bypass’ right-of-way.
Read a summary of the Wetlands monitoring plan.
Groundwater and potable water well monitoring plan
Transport Canada is committed to ensuring that every citizen has potable water for their daily consumption and activities before, during and after construction until the water table stabilizes. To reduce the potential impacts on residential drinking water wells, the Laforest Nova Aqua hydrogeology firm developed a Groundwater and potable water well monitoring plan for concerned and potentially affected citizens. The wells included in the plan are located in areas that could be affected by construction.
Read a summary of the Groundwater and potable water well monitoring plan.
We want to hear from you
We want to hear from people who live in Frontenac, Lac-Mégantic and Nantes. Your opinions and feedback are important.
How to participate
- Choose “Register” at the top of the page
- Select and read the following environmental reports summaries to better understand how they will support the construction of the rail bypass:
- Join the discussion forum under the “Have your say” tab or upload a document through the “Submissions” tab
- Send your feedback by email to TC.InfoLacMegantic.TC@tc.gc.ca
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