The Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) will not intervene for the moment in Rosemère to demand a rehabilitation plan for a contaminated golf course, where a residential subdivision project could materialize.
The City has indicated, however, that it will request an environmental study before authorizing any project.
On September 17, Rosemère asked Quebec to confirm the information reported by Press indicating levels of mercury and arsenic contamination above the standards for a golf course that was bought by real estate developers in 2018.
In a written communication sent to the municipality, the MELCC concludes “that nothing allows them to act at present in this file”. According to the ministry, “only an activity referred to in Annex III of Land Protection and Rehabilitation Regulation (RPRT) necessarily requires a characterization of said land and a rehabilitation plan to be presented to the MELCC ”.
However, the operation of a golf course is not an activity provided for by this by-law. In this context, the promoter would not be obliged to carry out an environmental characterization study or to submit a land rehabilitation plan, according to the MELCC.
However, in the event that the proponent wishes to “maintain contaminants whose concentration exceeds the criterion for the intended use of the land, the latter would be required to submit a rehabilitation plan with toxicological and ecotoxicological risk analysis” under the Environment Quality Act (LQE), specified the MELCC to Press.
For its part, the City of Rosemère has signaled that “it would require an in-depth and independent environmental study when the time comes, otherwise it will be the status quo”.
The golf course is now owned by Quartier Melrose Inc., which proposed a residential subdivision project last March, however refused by the municipality.
At the same time, Rosemère and the MRC Thérèse-de-Blainville took steps over the summer to change the site’s allocation to the development plan, which would open the door to the residential subdivision.
Press revealed on September 17 that the golf course site does not comply with “projected residential and commercial uses” and that it will have to be decontaminated, according to an environmental study.
The report was commissioned in 2017 by businessman Sylvain Ménard, following a $ 27 million purchase offer made to the former owners of the golf course. Mr. Ménard withdrew this offer after having read the document prepared by the firm ABS, which “recommended to carry out an environmental rehabilitation in the areas of the playgrounds. [départs, allées et verts] from [18] holes of the golf course ”.
The document indicates levels of mercury and arsenic contamination above the B standard, which is required in order to authorize a residential project.
The promoter’s spokesperson, Guillaume Mongrain, told Press that he had “no comments [à formuler] at this time ”.