Cantley residents who have been gagging on gas fumes from a partly covered private landfill site for five years want the Quebec government to clean up the site now that it has closed and its owners have declared bankruptcy.
Serge Galipeau, who owns a house near the dry material landfill on Highway 307, says it has been “orphaned” because no one is available to cover the garbage with sand, clay and a plastic membrane, and to filter the toxic hydrogen sulphide gas that smells like rotten eggs.
There have been problems at the dump for years. The Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks suggested a “voluntary evacuation” of 69 families after a fire in the dump smouldered for months in 2005. In 2007, a provincial administrative tribunal closed the landfill, which was operated by Denzil Thom.
Residents living within two kilometres of the landfill still complain about headaches, itching throats and coughing when the gas is present. Health officials in 2005 warned landfill workers to wear air tanks and breathing masks because the gas in some parts of the site was strong enough to kill humans within minutes.
Its closing was supposed to be the final move in a long-running history, during which the ministry investigated the landfill at least 17 times for alleged infractions since it opened in 1989.
Galipeau said gas levels were still high because part of the dump had not been completely covered and gas was not properly collected and filtered.
He said provincial officials told him they couldn’t take corrective action because the landfill was still under investigation.
“No work has been done on the site, which means that an area more than four acres is not properly covered,” Galipeau said. “The owner has said he is not going to spend more money, and the company declared bankruptcy in May. The problem is the ministry says it can’t do the work itself because it is doing another inquiry at the dump.”
Galipeau said ministry officials told him the province was doing tests at the site to determine whether there were infractions not discovered during previous investigations.
The ministry has already uncovered discarded tires, old car batteries and animal carcasses, all of which are not permitted at dry landfills.
“Members of our residents committee and Cantley Mayor Steve Harris told our MNA, Stephanie Vallée, that even if there is an inquiry, the province needs to do the work because we get a bad smell from the dump almost every day,” Galipeau said.
“The ministry installed a meter to measure the hydrogen sulphide on my property one kilometre from the site, and the gas levels are higher than the province allows. For our quality of life we need something done before the winter when the smell is worse.”
Galipeau said the ministry had never told the 200 people living nearby whether the landfill had contaminated their well water.
Provincial officials have said the company that operated the landfill may be insolvent, but Thom still operates a sand and gravel business on the site and pays municipal taxes. Marc Dubreuil, the ministry’s new regional director, said Thursday he could not answer questions about the landfill without further study. Vallée could not be reached for comment.