A Quebec toxic waste dump that takes in U.S. material wants to expand. Locals say no way

Benjamin Shingler · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

In a suburb northbound of Montreal, adjacent a agelong of forest, lies the last destination for concern discarded coming from each implicit eastbound North America.

Toxic waste, contaminated ungraded and hazardous materials are treated and buried connected a crippled of onshore successful the municipality of Blainville, Que.

The dump has been operating for much than 40 years, but is present the taxable of a quality involving section residents, the municipality and the provincial authorities amid the backdrop of a commercialized warfare betwixt Canada and the United States.

The Quebec authorities has sided with the company, and has tabled legislation, Bill 93, to unit the municipality to merchantability that portion of onshore to U.S.-owned institution Stablex truthful it tin grow its operations. Hearings connected Bill 93 are underway this week astatine the province's National Assembly.

What's astatine stake?

The dump is operated by a backstage institution called Stablex, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Republic Services. Stablex wants to grow the facility, saying that by 2027, it volition tally retired of space.

In 2023, Quebec's biology watchdog, the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), described the enlargement task arsenic "premature" and recommended that the authorities not authorize it.

Later that year, the politician of Blainville and each the city's elected officials backed retired of the statement with the company. The Coalition Avenir Québec authorities successful crook enactment guardant Bill 93 to marque definite the enlargement tin spell ahead.

Where does the discarded travel from?

The dump has been utilized to dainty and hide hazardous materials specified arsenic batteries and laboratory discarded successful Blainville since 1981. Stablex says that astir of the discarded comes from the province. Roughly 600 companies based successful Quebec usage the tract to dispose of their hazardous waste.

But a important information besides comes from elsewhere successful Canada, and the United States.

According to projections successful the BAPE report, 59 per cent of the discarded is expected from Canada, 29 per cent from the United States and 12 per cent from different Canadian provinces betwixt 2023 and 2032.

Why expand?

Stablex wants to physique an additional, sixth dumping tract to conscionable the projected demand. After primitively proposing a tract person to the existing dump, the institution projected 1 connected a crippled of onshore much than a kilometre distant from residences, which volition minimize sound and smell.

The larger tract volition besides let for operations to proceed until 2065 alternatively of 2040.

Michel Perron, the wide manager of Stablex, testified astatine Tuesday's hearings. He said that unless the program goes forward, hundreds of companies successful Quebec volition person nary spot to dispose of their hazardous waste.

In an unfastened missive earlier this week, Perron said Stablex should beryllium viewed arsenic "an biology solution."

"We forestall concern discarded from being released into the situation willy-nilly," helium said.

Quebec's Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette-Vézina told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin connected Tuesday that the enlargement is "necessary" and "important for the Quebec economy."

WATCH | The controversy, explained: 

Why is the municipality opposed?

Blainville Mayor Liza Poulin, residents and biology groups person travel retired against the expansion.

All 3 absorption parties are also opposed to Bill 93, and appeared alongside Poulin Tuesday astatine the National Assembly.

Poulin told a quality league the instrumentality would make an "unjustifiable precedent" successful overriding the rights of municipalities for the payment of a backstage business.

The onshore sought by Stablex includes a operation of wetlands and woodlands. The BAPE study said the site's ecological worth stems from its relation arsenic portion of a larger ecological corridor, which the enlargement task would fragment.

Last week, residents held a rally extracurricular Stablex. Marie-Claude Beaulieu, a co-ordinator with the biology radical Mères au Front determination la région des Mille-Îles, was among those successful attendance.

"People are angry," she said. "No 1 is listening to their voice." Her radical is calling for the extremity of importation of toxic discarded from the United States, and a broader reappraisal of however toxic discarded is handled successful Quebec.

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which represents 82 Montreal-area municipalities, has besides condemned the projected law.

The radical said the measure would tally antagonistic to the rule of municipal autonomy.

What's next?

The hearings are acceptable to wrapper up connected Thursday.

Stablex says the enlargement needs to beryllium approved by adjacent month. Blainville and the CMM, for their part, accidental they volition program to record a situation successful Quebec Superior Court to contention the legality of Bill 93.