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Facts on the Rupert River Diversion |
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History is about to repeat itself for the James Bay Cree.
 Hydro-Quebec is in the middle of a multi-billion hydro electric project which will see the Rupert and Eastmain Rivers dammed, the flow of the Rupert diverted in the Eastmain and new generating capacity built.. This will come at the expense of the Cree communities, particularly those in Waskaganish, Nemaska and Chisasibi. This includes fish kills and mercury poisoning which will last decades, loss of wildlife, flooded lands and other environmental devastation.
There is a 12 to 16-month window before the current construction by Hydro-Quebec reaches a “point of no return” and the diversion of the Rupert River begins.
The impact will be profound:
- An average of 71% diversion with up to 90% in summer, of the water of the Rupert River, resulting in dry river beds along major stretches of its length;
- Flooding of 135 square miles of land for another hydro reservoir;
- Elevated mercury levels (poisoning) of major fish stocks anticipated to last 20 to 30 years – with widespread restrictions/bans on eating of fish; Hydro Quebec’s past projects have shown that after mercury levels peak they do not return to normal, but stay elevated at the levels of nearby lakes, which generally have double the levels of mercury as rivers in the James Bay area because off the stagnant water in lakes.
- Generation of methane gases from turbine churn at all new dam turbine locations. Recent research has shown methane gas is 21 to 40 times more potent than CO2 as a green house gas;
- Flooding and destruction of permanent hunting camps, major impacts on goose and other animal hunting by the Cree due to migratory and animal population changes;
- Creation of quarries, hundreds of sandpits and dumping of excavated soils on existing hunting trap lines resulting in their destruction;
- Loss of additional fish and geese habitats – a process which took 20 years for the geese, as the food (eelgrass) slowly disappeared due to the additional flow in the La Grande River from previous hydro diversion projects;
- Release of carbon dioxide by burning trees, Boreal forest impact;
- Climatic impacts have already been felt from the previous La Grande projects. Rivers no longer freeze in the winter in the area. Very high humidity has affected the breathing of area residents. This project would exacerbate this.
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