12 January 2010
Rivière-du-Loup, Québec
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is pleased to announce today that the government will fund a green project in Rivière-du-Loup, which will see the construction of a system to treat organic waste and convert it to biogas, a renewable fuel. This project operates under an agreement-in-principle undertaken with the Government of Quebec relating to the Green Infrastructure Fund of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
“We recognize the importance of supporting infrastructure projects that will boost the economy and create jobs for Canadians while promoting cleaner, greener living,” said Prime Minister Harper. “Projects like the one announced today in Rivière-du-Loup are part of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in so doing, combat climate change.”
The Government of Canada contribution for these projects comes from the nationwide Green Infrastructure Fund, consisting of $1 billion over five years, and is part of Canada's Economic Action Plan announced in the January 2009 budget. This Fund supports sustainable energy generation and transmission, along with municipal wastewater treatment and solid waste management.
This is the first project to be funded in Quebec under the Green Infrastructure Fund, part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. This fund provides for cost-sharing with the Government of Quebec and the cities and municipalities concerned.
The Rivière-du-Loup project involves the construction of a system to treat organic waste, almost all of which to date has been sent to landfills. The technology converts organic waste to biogas for use as renewable vehicle fuel.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/eng/index.asp. For more information on infrastructure investments, visit http://www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
