A group of six Quebec advocacy organizations has filed formal accusations against Stablex over pollution from the company’s Blainville hazardous waste processing plant, reported CityNews.
What happened?
The complaint, submitted on Oct. 22, details three contamination concerns.Â
Employees who left the company spoke anonymously to Radio-Canada journalists and recounted observing releases of contaminated air, powdery residue coating nearby automobiles, and arsenic, mercury, and other toxic metals at the location.
“These alarming findings raise concerns about atmospheric emissions that could violate the Clean Air Regulations,” the groups stated in their complaint.
In August, a vehicle hauling waste materials released liquid as it drove. The substance entered the municipal drainage infrastructure that flows to Locke Head Creek. Lab work by the Société pour vaincre la pollution found toxic metals, carcinogens, petroleum products, and phenols at amounts that Montreal Metropolitan Community standards prohibit.
Separate testing showed airborne contaminants around the site above what the law allows.
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Why is industrial waste concerning?
Pollution from waste processing centers threatens people living nearby and natural systems. Contaminated waterways kill fish and other organisms while creating risks for anyone using those water sources. Breathing dirty air causes respiratory illness and can lead to chronic medical conditions.
The complaint accuses government overseers of “a flagrant lack of rigour” and “a disturbing lack of accountability on the part of the State.” According to the Radio-Canada investigation, Quebec’s Environment Ministry has used only Stablex’s self-submitted data across multiple years without performing any external checks.
Daniel Green, an ecotoxicology specialist with the Society to Defeat Pollution, said the situation worsens while authorities ignore it.
What’s being done about industrial waste?
The advocacy groups want Quebec’s Environment Ministry to audit whether Stablex properly reported the August spill. They’re calling for mandatory health-tracking programs and air monitoring stations that operate independently from the company.
The coalition also wants stricter pollution controls written into Stablex’s permit and full assessments of how air and water contamination combine to affect health.
If your home is near waste-processing centers, link up with local watchdog groups measuring pollution. Call or write your elected officials and tell them you support independent inspection programs. Ask your local health department to conduct environmental testing in affected neighborhoods.
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