The City of Montreal has asked the Quebec government to intervene over odour issues at the Sanimax plant in the Rivière-des-Prairies neighbourhood. On Monday, the city sent the government a letter saying that despite a 2024 Quebec Superior Court ruling ordering the meat rendering plant to complete work to comply with environmental standards, no meaningful work has been completed. Residents who live near the plant have described the smell as “nauseating” and said they have been dealing with the problem for more than a decade. According to city officials, the government established a special intervention zone in July 2024 that modified the applicable zoning regulations until July 1, 2027, to allow the work to be completed. “Due to certain issues regarding the interpretation of the applicable regulatory provisions, mediation was initiated. Given the lack of foreseeable progress and the imminent expiration of the decree’s effect, representatives of the City of Montreal are suspending the City’s participation in the mediation and are requesting, at this stage, that the Government of Quebec take all necessary measures to ensure that the work not yet completed and covered by the special intervention zone is undertaken without further delay.” The city is also asking the province to amend the special intervention zone to designate the Quebec government as the authority responsible for administering the zoning regulations. Additionally, it requested that the government make every effort to ensure that construction of garages for parking trailers and trucks loaded with raw materials awaiting processing begins without further delay. “Furthermore, the City will ensure that any violation of air and water quality regulations is penalized and, if necessary, will take all appropriate legal action to enforce the Superior Court’s ruling regarding the environmental compliance work that has not yet been completed,” the city said. On Tuesday, a Sanimax spokesperson acknowledged the city’s request to suspend its participation in mediation and formally asked the government to intervene. In a written statement, Serge Vallieres said the next government will have to establish a “strict and predictable provincial regulatory framework” to allow the work to move forward and improve the quality of life of residents in the neighbourhood. He noted the government will also need to quickly confirm funding arrangements for the work and address the issue of ammonia nitrogen. “Solutions exist, and Sanimax remains fully committed to working collaboratively with all parties. Two independent engineering firms have confirmed the relevance of the improvements proposed by Sanimax and, most importantly, that the proposed air treatment technologies will significantly improve the quality of life of the surrounding community,” Vallieres said. Vallieres added that the work represents an investment of more than $50 million dedicated to reducing the plant’s impacts on the surrounding community. “We have made similar investments at our Lévis and Saint-Hyacinthe facilities, and we want to do the same in Montreal, because residents have been waiting a long time for concrete improvements.” With files from Max Harrold.
