A Quebec toxic waste dump that takes in U.S. material wants to expand. Locals say no way
Proposed provincial law would force through Stablex's expansion in Blainville, Que.
In a suburb north of Montreal, near a stretch of forest, lies the final destination for industrial waste coming from all over eastern North America.
Toxic waste, contaminated soil and hazardous materials are treated and buried on a plot of land in the town of Blainville, Que.
The dump has been operating for more than 40 years, but is now the subject of a dispute involving local residents, the municipality and the provincial government amid the backdrop of a trade war between Canada and the United States.
The Quebec government has sided with the company, and has tabled legislation, Bill 93, to force the municipality to sell that piece of land to U.S.-owned company Stablex so it can expand its operations. Hearings on Bill 93 are underway this week at the province's National Assembly.
What's at stake?
The dump is operated by a private company called Stablex, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Republic Services. Stablex wants to expand the facility, saying that by 2027, it will run out of space.
In 2023, Quebec's environmental watchdog, the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), described the expansion project as "premature" and recommended that the government not authorize it.
Later that year, the mayor of Blainville and all the city's elected officials backed out of the agreement with the company. The Coalition Avenir Québec government in turn put forward Bill 93 to make sure the expansion can go ahead.
Where does the waste come from?
The dump has been used to treat and bury hazardous materials such as batteries and laboratory waste in Blainville since 1981. Stablex says that most of the waste comes from the province. Roughly 600 companies based in Quebec use the site to dispose of their hazardous waste.
But a substantial portion also comes from elsewhere in Canada, and the United States.
According to projections in the BAPE report, 59 per cent of the waste is expected from Canada, 29 per cent from the United States and 12 per cent from other Canadian provinces between 2023 and 2032.
Why expand?
Stablex wants to build an additional, sixth dumping site to meet the projected demand. After originally proposing a site closer to the existing dump, the company proposed one on a plot of land more than a kilometre away from residences, which will minimize noise and smell.
The larger site will also allow for operations to continue until 2065 instead of 2040.
Michel Perron, the general manager of Stablex, testified at Tuesday's hearings. He said that unless the plan goes forward, hundreds of companies in Quebec will have no place to dispose of their hazardous waste.
In an open letter earlier this week, Perron said Stablex should be viewed as "an environmental solution."
"We prevent industrial waste from being released into the environment willy-nilly," he said.
Quebec's Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette-Vézina told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin on Tuesday that the expansion is "necessary" and "important for the Quebec economy."
Why is the town opposed?
Blainville Mayor Liza Poulin, residents and environmental groups have come out against the expansion.
All three opposition parties are also opposed to Bill 93, and appeared alongside Poulin Tuesday at the National Assembly.
Poulin told a news conference the law would create an "unjustifiable precedent" in overriding the rights of municipalities for the benefit of a private business.
The land sought by Stablex includes a combination of wetlands and woodlands. The BAPE report said the site's ecological value stems from its role as part of a larger ecological corridor, which the expansion project would fragment.
Last week, residents held a rally outside Stablex. Marie-Claude Beaulieu, a co-ordinator with the environmental group Mères au Front pour la région des Mille-Îles, was among those in attendance.
"People are angry," she said. "No one is listening to their voice." Her group is calling for the end of importation of toxic waste from the United States, and a broader review of how toxic waste is handled in Quebec.
The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which represents 82 Montreal-area municipalities, has also condemned the proposed law.
The group said the bill would run counter to the principle of municipal autonomy.
What's next?
The hearings are set to wrap up on Thursday.
Stablex says the expansion needs to be approved by next month. Blainville and the CMM, for their part, say they will plan to file a challenge in Quebec Superior Court to contest the legality of Bill 93.
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With files from Paula Dayan Perez