Miramichi seniors upset by stink from nearby lobster-shell composting operation
Envirem Organics president apologizes, says company is working on mitigation plan
Closure of a smelly shellfish disposal plant in Richibucto last year sent a greater number of lobster shells to a plant in Miramichi, only to create similar odour problems for residents in that community.
More than 200 seniors living at Retirement Miramichi Inc. were unable to enjoy some fresh air days this year after the stench from the Envirem Organics Inc. plant, about a kilometre away, forced them to shut windows and doors.
Resident Elaine Aubé, who has allergies and asthma, said she began to throw up sitting on her deck when the stink of decomposing lobster shells filled the air.
"It's like tons and tons of disgust, it's just really, it's intolerable," Aubé said.
As soon as you smell it, it's like your nose curls up and says bring me home, because you can't stand it," she said.
The smell recently subsided after resident complaints to the provincial government, which put a temporary halt to the shell processing.
But it's been an issue since last year, and Aubé said she's angry.
"We work hard, we look forward to the golden years, the retirement … to have a bad smell like that, it really puts a damper on our golden years.
Aubé said the smell triggers her allergies, making her eyes water, nose run and her throat and tongue swell so that she has trouble breathing.
Visits from family members have also been a challenge, because some are allergic to shellfish.
Aubé's immediate neighbour, retired welder Bill Gallant, said he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung condition that restricts air flow.
Gallant was among about 70 residents who gathered last Friday with handheld signs and chanting "Stop the stink."
Gallant has no air-conditioning, which makes his house hot during the summer. But when he opens the windows the stink makes him sick, he said.
"I get congested ... I suffer, I suffer this stink," he said.
"You don't want to put up with that, nobody does, and why should we? And who are these people to do that to us?"
Other residents complained of eye irritation, freshly washed clothes that smelled, the spread of the smell within their homes, and the additional expense for people who rely on puffers when they breathe.
The New Brunswick Department of Environment confirmed an increase in odour complaints from the residents in the area.
The department asked Envirem to temporarily stop accepting lobster shells and provide an odour mitigation plan for the site, spokesperson Vicky Lutes said in an email last week. The plan is now under review.
"In the meantime, the facility remains operational and continues to accept other approved compost feedstocks," Lutes said.
Bob Kiely, president of Envirem Organics, apologized to the neighbourhood residents in an interview Monday.
"Of course we don't want to have people that are impacted, so we certainly apologize to them," Kiely said.
"We want to be a neighbour of theirs long term … so I feel for the people, and I apologize that we created some short-term odours up there and, that's not our goal long term."
Kiely said the volume of lobster shells coming to the Miramichi operation increased after the Coastal Shell disposal plant in Richibucto was shut down in mid-June last year.
Coastal Shell blamed the closure on costly, provincially imposed limits on its hours of operation after persistent complaints from local residents about the smell.
The closure forced lobster processors to find alternative disposal sites.
Kiely said his company was trying to support the industry during that time, which meant accepting more lobster shells at the Miramichi site, some of them in poor condition and smelly on arrival.
On paper, the volume of waste wasn't unreasonable, but in effect, "we had to divert trucks away from our scales because they were so stinky," he said.
"Our people didn't want to be around it, and we've never experienced that before."
Kiely said Envirem has been processing small quantities of lobster shells in Miramichi since 1997, and the higher volume in the past year was a temporary measure.
"The Miramichi facility is not going to become a solution for this industry, short term or long term," he said. "We have other locations, and the industry is working on a plan."
Kiely said being selective about the quality and quantity of shell waste is a major part of the company's odour mitigation plan.
He did not go into details about the plan under review but said Envirem is working with the Environment Department.
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