Sustainable Development Commissioner, Mr. Jean Cinq-Mars, presents the conclusions of his audit concerning the application of the Act with regard to dam safety and their operation - Press Release no. 3

QUÉBEC, June 3, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Auditor General of Québec, Ms. Guylaine Leclerc, makes public the Report of the Sustainable Development Commissioner (Spring 2015). Chapter 3 makes known the results from work carried out at the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MDDELCC).

The MDDELCC did not succeed in ensuring compliance with the Act in the assessment of dam safety. By the end of the regulatory deadline, the Department has only received about 10% of completed files on safety assessment from dam owners. For nearly a quarter of the dams, it had still not received nothing six years later.

The criteria meant to determine the essential nature of the dams for the State's mission are not established. The essential nature of over half of the dams under the Department's responsibility has not been demonstrated; yet, they generate monitoring and maintenance costs. The MDDELCC has also not established a pricing policy for services it provides to owners operating the dams. In the rare cases where there is an agreement, fees are not fair.

In 2014-2015, the MDDELCC significantly reduced the frequency of its dam monitoring activities. It no longer complies with the minimum required.

The Department cannot ensure maintenance interventions for the dams under its responsibility. Furthermore, it is unable to respect its planned dismantling schedule for dams that are no longer essential to the State's mission.

The MDDELCC exercises, for dams it operates, monitoring and regular analysis of hydrological conditions. However, the preparation and distribution of documentation on water flow regulation does not always allow to obtain the necessary information in a timely manner.

The Department does not comply with requirements for emergency action plans. For nearly 20% of dams, plans have not been produced or do not conform to requirements.

The MDDELCC's reporting does not adequately present the extent at which the Dam Safety Act is applied. It also does not allow the assessment of its performance regarding the operation of dams under its responsibility.

The Highlights are available at www.vgq.qc.ca. The full report is only available in French.

Source:	Lucie Roy, Director
	Cabinet, communications et affaires stratégiques
	Auditor General of Québec
	Tel.: [phone]

SOURCE Vérificateur Général du Québec

Lucie Roy, Director, Cabinet, communications et affaires stratégiques, Auditor General of Québec, Tel.: [phone]