Injunction against Northvolt: hearing to be held Wednesday | The battery industry

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The Northvolt Six complex will be built on the border of the municipalities of Saint-Basile-le-Grand and McMasterville. (Archive photo)

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The hearing concerning the request for an injunction filed against the company Northvolt in connection with the construction of its battery manufacturing and recycling plant in Montérégie is being held on Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse. The hearing had already been postponed twice.

The requests for provisional and interlocutory injunctions were filed by the Quebec Environmental Law Center (CQDE) and three citizens. They argue that the work is worrying for biodiversity, since the 171 hectare land where the factory will be built is a habitat for many threatened or vulnerable animal species. The site is home to approximately 14 hectares of wetlands.

It may be a long day, but we hope that the judgment will be rendered quickly, CQDE lawyer Marc Bishai reacted Wednesday morning at the Montreal courthouse.

Last week, Northvolt began felling trees on the land located in Saint-Basile-le-Grand and McMasterville, but the work have since been put on hold while the judge considers the requests for injunctions.

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Specifically, the judge ruled that the Swedish multinational could not proceed with the logging work. trees in wetlands and 500 meters from them on the site of the future factory.

Friday, Northvolt's lawyer claimed that seeking a 10-day injunction would cause them irreparable harm.

The CQDE and the three citizens also request an interlocutory injunction.

On Tuesday, a Northvolt spokesperson revealed that saboteurs had entered the site to insert nails or nail bars into around a hundred trees.

With information from The Canadian Press and Kim Vermette