A-2.001 - Act respecting the acceleration of certain infrastructure projects

Section 45 Disposition versions

2020-12-11

45. A person, group or municipality may, during the public information period prescribed by the Regulation respecting the environmental impact assessment and review of certain projects (chapter Q-2, r. 23.1), apply in writing to the minister responsible for the environment for a targeted consultation or for mediation, informing the minister of the reasons for the application and of their interest as regards the environments affected by the project. The minister may, at any time, ask the person, group or municipality to provide additional explanations in support of the application.

Unless the minister considers the application to be frivolous, in particular if the minister considers that the reasons given in support of it are not serious or that a targeted consultation or mediation on the concerns raised would not be useful for analyzing the project, the minister mandates the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement

(1)  to hold a targeted consultation on the issues identified by the minister with, among others, the persons, groups or municipalities required to be consulted; or

(2)  to conduct mediation if the minister considers that the nature of the concerns raised warrants it and that there is a possibility of compromise between the interested parties.

If the impact assessment statement is complete, and if, because of the nature of the issues raised by the project, holding a public hearing appears to be advisable, in particular if public concerns warrant it, the minister may, in relation to the issues that the minister has identified, mandate the Bureau to hold such a hearing without the public body having to hold the public information period prescribed in subdivision 2 of Division V of the Regulation respecting the environmental impact assessment and review of certain projects.

2020, c. 27, s. 45.