Great Blainville and Stablex peat bog
It's in the great millenary peat bog of Blainville, a rich ecosystem, that the company Stablex wishes to be able to move a 6th cell used to bury toxic waste, mainly from the United States and Ontario, which would have allowed it to double its current capacity !
We are talking here about a total capacity of 13 million tons of hazardous materials and the direct destruction of 52 hectares of forest and 9 hectares of wetlands with high biodiversity. We were told of a structure reaching 22 meters in height, which is equivalent to a building of 8 floors.
This is why the MARE supported Emergency water , Action Environment Lower Laurentians and the Landfill Alert Coalition Rivière du Nord, to create a Coalition of environmental groups to oppose the Stablex request. Are, thereafter, added the Society to beat pollution and Mothers at the Rivière des Mille-Isles. Here is, starting with the most recent, the actions that have been carried out.
The expropriation of Blainville will be adopted under gag
Here is an extract from the press release signed by several environmental groups, don't BIG them, In response to the use of the gag which will allow the expropriation of Blainville for the benefit of the Stablex American company. The procedure that started last night was still continuing this morning.
“Several environmental groups unite their voice to denounce the unthinkable : The Legault government bends in front of the lobby of an American company and imposes the gag on the bill 93 In order to accelerate its adoption. Despite a real shield of shields from the whole company, The government completely ignores the wishes of the population and the scientific consensus in order to offer as a gift the land of the city of Blainville in Stablex.
The groups reiterate their request to trigger a commission of inquiry into the management of hazardous waste piloted by the BAPE in order to shed light on the current practices. They will continue to mobilize and search the file to lift the veil on the problems of hazardous waste management in Quebec.“
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Urgent pond request : Tell the Prime Minister that the law 93, It's no!!!
As you may already know, The Legault government has tabled the bill 93 Recently in order to force the city of Blainville to sell its land to allow more hazardous waste to bury the Stablex site.
The government adds to it while preparing, According to several sources, atPass his law under gag in order to meet the deadlinesimposed by Stablex.
This is unacceptable.
The pond is actively involved with the coalition of the stablex file groups since 2023 in this file. Following many calls for action, Our coalition has decided toLaunch a flash with email shipments.
Our requests are clear and simple :
1. LOVE THE BRATE OF BUT
2. Trigger a public inquiry commission on hazardous waste management in Quebec (Generic table)
Please share widely in your networks!
Please share widely in your networks!
Lien direct:https://eausecours.org/agir/nonpl93/
Publications:
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The coalition of groups files a dissertation
In our newsletter of 7 February 2025, The coalition of environmental groups stablex informed you that the unthinkable was confirmed : The CAQ government who folds in front of the lobby of an American company by tabled the bill 93 allowing the expropriation of the city of Blainville!
Tuesday on 18 mars 2025, Our coalition participated in the particular consultation on this subject and has filed a dissertation (written in barely 5 days !).
Here are excerpts :
“Being firmly against the expropriation of a city or a municipality by the government in place for the exploitation and/or the sale of land for the benefit of a multinational; We make an unfavorable opinion on the adoption of the special bill 93.
To adopt the adoption and/or authorization of the landfill under all its reservations, Our requests are as follows:
● that an environmental assessment on the complete contamination of the site is carried out before any clearing or excavation work;
● that a complete study of characterization of biodiversity carried out over a period of at least 8 month be made;
● that a request from the federal government to end imports of hazardous waste from the ES is made;
● That there is the holding of a generic table on hazardous waste in Quebec.”
The law project 93 allowing the expropriation of the city of Blainville is presented 🙁 + New Guardian publication
Here is an extract from the press release from the Coalition of Environmental Groups Stablex file(in whichThe pond has been very involved for several years now withEmergency Water, theSociety to beat pollution, Mothers at the front Rivière des Mille-Îles as well asLandfill Alert Coalition Rivière du Nord) :
The coalition “protests that the unthinkable is confirmed : The Government of the CAQ folds in front of the lobby of an American company by tabled today are bill 93,Law concerning in particular the transfer of ownership of a building in the city of Blainville. This instead of thinking about a solution that meets Quebec's needs without destroying an important wetland and without endangering water, the environment and human health in the region.
The groups are incredulous to see the bill of the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests materialize, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, Announced for a few days.
"While we are in the midst of a tariff war with our southern neighbors, The Government of the CAQ tables a bill which aims to meet the requests and threats of an American company so that it can continue to import American waste, »Sleep the groups.
"We hope that the CAQ government will be more reasonable during special consultations that, we hope, will be inclusive enough to be heard all the voices concerned,»Say in conclusion the coalition groups.”
The contacts that the coalition maintains with the renowned newspaper The Guardian continues to allow international visibility on this subject.
Other coalition actions are planned shortly.
Stablex and Expropriation of Blainville ?
The media speak about it and the opposition wants to block the bill !!!
We seem to be in front of the imminence of a Special law of the Legault government which would make it possible to expropriate the city of Blainville in order to allow the American company Stablex to increase its capacity for the burial of toxic waste in the heart of the Grande Tourbière de Blainville. 🙁
Thanks to the work of the coalition of groups stablex file (in whichThe pond has been very involved for several years now withEmergency Water, theSociety to beat pollution, Mothers at the front Rivière des Mille-Îles as well asLandfill Alert Coalition Rivière du Nord) with the Journal de Montréal and the Guardian, The media gave a lot of visibility to the file on Tuesday the 25 February !!!
In Quebec, The official opposition threatens to use all its time to block a bill, By depositing amendments on amendments in parliamentary committee.
The mayor of Montreal and president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, Valerie Plante, also opposed the expansion of Stablex activities.
Let us mention that Quebec has received 58% of all waste imported into Canada from the United States between 2018 and 2022.
At a time when the United States threatens us, Let’s stop massive toxic waste from the United States !!!
(Hopefully the Quebec government will end up hearing this message !)
Publications in the Guardian and the Journal de Montréal !!!
Last Fall, The very famous newspaper The Guardian contacted the pond in order to find out more about thedossier Stablex as well as the import of toxic waste from the United States.
So we have, accompanied by other coalition groups (Society to beat pollution, Emergency Water, Mothers at the front) participated in an interview with journalist Erin McCormick.
A background article, dealing with the export of toxic waste in Canada, but also in Mexico, from the United States, was published on 15 January.
Following this international publication, The Journal de Montréal has published 2 articles also on this subject.
Letter to the Prime Minister
Since the current provincial government does not seem to have the intention of respecting the conclusions of the BAPE regarding the Stablex toxic waste landfill site, in the Great Blainville peat bog, the Coalition of Environmental Groups – Stablex file of which MARE is part as well as the Coalition of Citizens of Blainville against the cell 6 of Stablex have joined forces and sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Quebec, Mr. François Legault, but also to provincial ministers (Benoit Charette) and federal (Steven Guilbeault) of the Environment.
Here are our requests :
– Take the necessary measures to trigger an investigation with public hearings, commonly called a “generic BAPE”, on the production and management of hazardous materials waste in Quebec.
– That an immediate moratorium be decreed on imports of this type of waste from the United States until the conclusion of the investigation with public hearings.
– Require hazardous waste to be stabilized at the production site.
– That no cell 6 does not see the light of day.
We hope that these requests will be heard.
Open letter from MARE and the Coalition of groups
in Le Devoir (June 2024)
Here are excerpts from a open letter published by MARE and the Coalition of environmental groups for the Stablex file in Le Devoir on Friday 28 June.
“We have “took note of the fact that the ministry issued to the multinational, the 10 last June, an operating permit for the next five years (of June 2024 to June 2029) thus seeming to go against the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE).
The least we can say, is that this news did not make the headlines despite its importance.
– How is it that no public outing from the minister has taken place on this subject? ?
The Ministry of the Environment states in aPress release
that he himself carried out a rigorous inspection and sampling which attests to the conformity of the site.
– If that is the case, why the raw data from this sampling was not returned
public?
– Why the analysis was not made public ?
– Why the standards used (which can greatly modify the conclusions of an analysis) have not been made public ?
– Was Stablex informed of the ministry’s visit before sampling or not? ?
– Does the excess of 320 times the cadmium standard recorded by citizen sampling at a site near Stablex is only the tip of the iceberg or an anomaly as the minister claims?
– Does the minister now consider that the BAPE is useless for major projects in Quebec? ?
– Does the minister now consider that his main role is to support the
companies rather than defending the environment and actively fighting the crisis
climatic ?
Therefore, the list of questions is long and the answers are missing, for the moment.
It is time for the Minister of the Environment to show much more transparency in the Stablex file. The population of Blainville and all of Quebec has the right to answers.”
The Coalition of Groups writes to the Minister of the Environment (June 2024)
The least we can say, that’s what’s currently brewing in the Stablex file.
This is why the Coalition of Groups (the MARE, Emergency water, Mothers at the front Rivière des Mille Îles, Society to beat pollution, Coalition alert to landfill Rivière-du-Nord) sent a press release to Mr.. Benoit Charette, Quebec Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change.
Indeed, following citizen sampling of streams and ditches surrounding the Stablex hazardous waste treatment facilities in Blainville in December 2023, we were pleased to learn that the ministry had done its own sampling in April 2024 at the Stablex website, thus responding to one of our requests.
It was therefore with astonishment that we learned, Inan article in the Press published on 8 June, that the minister attacked our data by saying that “the methodology that was used, Sadly, was deficient”.
Our Coalition of groups is outraged by this way of proceeding. We had the
decency to send our results of analysis of the contamination found near Stablex before announcing them publicly, while the ministry did not share with us any raw data, ni analyses, nor the standards used (which often changes a lot of things in the analysis).
This is why we sent a press release to the Minister of the Environment in which we ask the Minister :
– To demonstrate transparency by sending us all water sampling results (surface and underground) and sediments,.
– To include the10 conditions for the operating authorization which could soon be granted to Stablex for 5 next years that the Coalition previously sent to the ministry.
– WhenRadio-Canada announces the minister's intention not to follow the recommendations of the BAPE and rather move forward with a 6th cell which could double the capacity for burying toxic waste in Blainville, the Coalition also asks not to authorize a new industrial waste landfill cell at Stablex before the ministry is more transparent about the environmental impacts of Stablex operations.
– Finally, we demand a public review of the management of residual hazardous materials in Quebec.
Good news! (February 2024)
During the council meeting of 20 February 2024, the Coalition of Groups – dossier Stablex (the MARE, Emergency water, Mothers at the front Rivière des Mille Îles, Society to beat pollution, Coalition alert to landfill Rivière-du-Nord) had given the city of Blainville the data from the citizen sampling carried out in December 2023 around the Stablex site.
Not less than 10 from 11 surface water sampling sites and all sites (11/11) sediment sampling then revealed the presence of contaminants that exceed the MELCCFP criteria, notably arsenic, copper, zinc as well as cadmium found in water at a rate 320 times higher than the environmental standard for streams and rivers.
Our request to Blainville and the Ministry of the Environment : that the ministry take charge of this matter by conducting an investigationcomplete andtransparent in the interest of population and ecosystem health.
According to information obtained by the Coalition, the ministry would have responded to part of this request by carrying out its own sampling, at the end of April !
Without the pressure exerted by our Coalition and by the citizens of Blainville, we do not believe that this sampling would have taken place. So it’s a great victory !
We now hope that the ministry will respond quickly to the 2nd part of this request (transparent investigation) by making the analysis of this sampling public as quickly as possible.
Our Coalition of Groups Calls for Robust Permitting
In February 2024, the Stablex company asked the Ministry of the Environment, of the fight against climate change, of Wildlife and Parks to renew for five years (of June 2024 never 2029) the operating authorization for its treatment plant and its hazardous industrial waste landfill site in Blainville, which has been in operation since 1983.
The Coalition of Groups believes that this permit renewal must be accompanied by strict conditions in order to avoid any future contamination..
This is why we sent, this week, a letter to the ministry as well as to the city of Blainville, but also a press release to the media in order to present the essential conditions, in our opinion, allowing the permit to be granted.
Several of these conditions aim to rectify the blatant lack of transparency regarding the environmental impacts of Stablex's operations.. We also ask that no 6th cell see the light of day.
Press release : Cadmium contamination of water 320 times above the environmental standard at a site near Stablex (27 February 2024)
The 27 February, the Coalition of groups named above transmitted the sampling data to the city of Blainville as well as to the Ministry of the Environment.
A press release was also issued.
Here are excerpts :
“We are surprised and very concerned by the simplicity with which we were able to demonstrate significant contamination right in the living environment of the population of Blainville. The Ministry of the Environment must act quickly and transparently by carrying out comprehensive analyzes of the company’s activities”, specifies Martin Legault, coordinator for MARE.
Not less than 10 from 11 surface water sampling sites and all sites (11/11) sediment sampling revealed the presence of contaminants that exceed MELCCFP criteria, notably arsenic, copper, zinc as well as cadmium found in water at a rate of 0.016ml/liter, either 320 times more than the environmental standard.
“We have concrete evidence that there is a problem with contamination of waterways in Blainville around the Stablex site. What if the contamination we detected was just the tip of the iceberg? The ball is therefore clearly in Minister Benoit Charette’s court, » says Marie-Claude Beaulieu, Mother at the front-Rivière-des-Mille-îles.
“When the City tore up its agreement with Stablex, several residents thought it was the end of the story, but it's quite the opposite! This multinational continues its activities with a significant lack of transparency on its environmental impacts and it still has the possibility of expanding its operations by starting the operation of the cell #6 initial. M. Charette must take a position now to affirm that it will not issue the authorizations necessary for the operation of the cell #6 initial. », says Rébecca Pétrin, general director of Eau Secours.
The groups reiterate their request to the MELCCFP for an immediate moratorium on the importation of hazardous industrial waste and for a national consultative reflection on the management strategy for this waste in Quebec.
Signatory groups, in alphabetical order, are :
- Action Environment Basses-Laurentides (AEB)
- Rivière-du-Nord Landfill Alert Coalition (FALL)
- Emergency Water
- Mothers at the front-Rivière-Des-Mille-Îles
- Regional environmental action movement (BIG)
Society to beat pollution (SVP)
To read the full press release, Click here.
© Eau rescue
Presence of environmental groups during the last council meeting (20 February 2024)
The Office of Public Hearings on the Environment process (BAPE) for the cell redevelopment project #6 of Stablex in Blainville carried out last summer and whose unfavorable report came out in September represented a great victory. Indeed, this was in addition to the decision of the city of Blainville to tear up the agreement concluded with Stablex which could have allowed the American company to move a 6th cell used to bury 13 million tonnes of additional toxic waste coming mainly from the United States and Ontario.
However, while Stablex's usual activities continue, many questions and concerns remained. That is why, the 2 December 2023, Blainville residents and environmental groups, don't BIG them, conducted a citizen activity to sample water and sediment around the Stablex hazardous industrial waste landfill site.
Data collected during the sampling campaign and analyzed by an accredited laboratory, show significant exceedances of the standards established by the Ministry of the Environment, of the fight against climate change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP) for many contaminants.
This is why representatives of’Emergency water, from Mothers at the front Rivière des Mille-Îles and MARE were present during the Blainville council meeting on 20 last february. The groups asked for a clear position and a commitment from Mayor Liza Poulin so that a full investigation could be carried out.. In response, Ms. Poulin specified in particular that she “would favor requiring the Ministry of the Environment to carry out analyses”.
To watch the recording of this session (MARE is on the microphone on behalf of the groups from the 28th minute), Click here.
We are now hoping for a quick response from the ministry. To be continued…
Citizen sampling in Blainville (2 December 2023)
The Office of Public Hearings on the Environment process (BAPE) for the cell redevelopment project #6 of Stablex in Blainville carried out during the summer 2023 and whose unfavorable report came out in September represented a great victory.
Indeed, this was in addition to the decision of the city of Blainville to tear up the agreement concluded with Stablex which could have allowed the American company to move a 6th cell used to bury 13 million tonnes of additional toxic waste coming mainly from the United States and Ontario. This would have doubled its current capacity. More details ICI.
However, while Stablex's usual activities continue, many questions and concerns remain, both among the citizens of Blainville and among the environmental groups who followed the issue.
That is why, the 2 December 2023, Blainville residents and environmental groups, don't BIG them, carried out a citizen activity to sample water and sediment around the Stablex hazardous industrial waste landfill site.
The objective of the activity: draw up a real and objective portrait of the impact of Stablex's activities on the environment and the health of the population and offer more transparency to the population regarding the risks potentially linked to the operation of the site. Now we need to analyze the results before sharing them. Stay tuned when the holidays return!
Stablex : Victoire !!! The BAPE report listened to the science and recognizes the almost unanimous opposition to the project
A coalition of local and national environmental groups including MARE welcomes the recommendations outlined in thereport from the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE) about the cell no redevelopment project 6 of Stablex in Blainville made public today.
The groups are relieved to see that the concerns of the local population, from
scientists and elected officials from the region were heard as part of the consultations
public. The groups now expect the Minister of the Environment, of the fight against climate change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP), M. Benoit Charette, takes note of the complete lack of social acceptability and officially rejects any cell project 6 right now.
We would like to remind you that there is no more social acceptability for the original version of the cell project 6 as for the redevelopment project as presented to the BAPE. The original version of the cell 6 also represents the destruction of many hectares of natural environments and wetlands, while we know that to achieve the targets set by COP15, every hectare of our precious ecosystems counts.
This is why we ask that the government take this opportunity to immediately declare a moratorium on the importation of hazardous waste into Quebec.. The moratorium must allow sufficient time to trigger and complete a participatory national reflection on Quebec's hazardous waste management strategy..
To read the groups' full reaction; click here.
Stablex : demonstration at the minister's office
And BAPE (Office of Public Hearings on the Environment) had until 8 September to submit its report to the office of the Minister of the Environment, of the fight against climate change, Wildlife and Parks, Benoit Charette, in the Stablex folder, then 2 more weeks to make it public.
Remember that this company which imports toxic industrial waste to Blainville from the United States (50%), from l'Ontario (25%) and Quebec (25%), requested an expansion and relocation of the cell 6. We are talking here about a total capacity of 13 million tons of hazardous materials and the direct destruction of 52 hectares of forest and 9 hectares of wetlands with great biodiversity in the Great Peatland.
This is why spokespersons for the Coalition of Blainville Citizens Against the Cell #6 by Stablex, but also of the Coalition of groups of which MARE is part withEmergency water, Environmental action Basses Laurentides, and theRivière-du-Nord Landfill Alert Coalition were present on 8 September in front of the minister's office to deposit 3 requests :
1. that all forms of cell project 6 are rejected;
2. that a moratorium be decreed on the importation of hazardous industrial waste;
3. that a participatory national reflection be undertaken on the Quebec hazardous waste management strategy.
To see the full press release, click here.
The minister was not at his office that day, but Nicolas Guay, constituency office manager, came to meet us. It was agreed that after allowing two weeks to pass, provided for by law before the report is made public, a group of 4 representatives would request a meeting with the minister or with members of his team.
A video montage of this action is availableICI.
Blainville and Stablex peat bog : We tour the MRCs
Previously, we informed you of a first important victory concerning the expansion project of the Stablex company in the Grande peat bog of Blainville (for more details about this file, click here) since the Blainville municipal council unanimously adopted, during the session of 22 August, a resolution that tears up the agreement concluded with Stablex which allowed the American company to expand its activities.
We promised to remain active while waiting for the BAPE report to be submitted, then the ministerial decision.
This is why a letter (co-signed byEmergency Water, Environmental action Basses Laurentides, theSociety to beat pollution and by the MARE) was transmitted to 3 MRC bordering the site currently operated by Stablex (The Assumption, windmills andThérèse-de-Blainville) in order to draw their attention to the risks incurred by the Stablex expansion project for the protection of drinking water sources in addition to the impacts relating to the loss of an important wetland in the region and the accumulation of hazardous waste with infinite life.
To see an example of this letter, click here.
Eau Secours representatives, of Action environment Basses-Laurentides and MARE presented themselves, the 28, 29 and 30 August at the sessions of these 3 MRC to ensure that elected officials had received this letter and to remind them of our request : as local government representatives, do not wait for the decision of the provincial government before signaling their opposition to this project and demonstrate their support to the Blainville council on the STABLEX file with regional ministers !
We thank these 3 MRC for their welcome and we would like to underline the particularly interested welcome of the mayors sitting on the councils. Hopefully our request will be heard.
First victory in the Stablex file !!!
Since last April, MARE was actively involved in saying NO to the project of the company Stablex which wishes to move a 6th cell used to bury 13 million tonnes of additional toxic waste in Blainville, which would lead to the direct destruction of 52 hectares of forest and 9 hectares of wetlands in the Great Peatland (for more details, click here.)
We can now look forward to a first important victory in this matter since the Blainville municipal council unanimously adopted, during the session of 22 August, a resolution that tears up the agreement concluded with Stablex which allowed the American company to expand its activities.
For more details, you can read thisRadio-Canada report.
Congratulations to the organizations that contributed to this victory (Action Environment Lower Laurentians, theLandfill Alert Coalition Rivière du Nord, Emergency water), but above all congratulations to the many citizens who got involved.
This would never have been possible without this citizen mobilization.
The next step : we are awaiting the submission of the BAPE report (MARE also submitted a brief as part of the BAPE hearings) at the latest 8 September, then the decision of the Minister of the Environment, of the fight against climate change, Wildlife and Parks.
Until then, we will remain active in order to preserve this extremely rich ecosystem.
Gathering of 13 June 2023
The 13 June (city council evening), we invite you to a rally in front of Blainville City Hall to support the Coalition Oui à la Grande Tourbière de Blainville, NO to Stablex and to say no to the plan to bury millions of additional tons of toxic waste.
More than a hundred people participated in this rally. A success !!!
Afterwards, we were also present during the question period (who lasted 2 hours) of the municipal council of Blainville. The quality of board presentations was impressive. The same message, approached with a variety of angles of approach and a rigor of which we can be proud.
The MARE has also filed the brief it presented to the BAPE Few days ago.
The least we can say, is that the members of the council did not seem open to representing the citizens who are massively opposed to the project to import millions of tons of additional toxic waste into the heart of the Great Blainville peatland, simply relying on the BAPE process. We hope that the presence of many citizens and the presentations, some of which described in detail the various levers that the municipality can use in this file, will have encouraged the board to become more involved, because their help is essential.
Submission of a brief to the BAPE by the MARE
The MARE presented within the framework of the BAPE “Cell No. Redevelopment Project 6 at the Stablex treatment center in Blainville”, a memoir you can read here.
In all, 35 briefs have been filed and 13 were summarized in sessions.
For the recording of these sessions : click here (The presentation of the MARE starts at 39 min 40 sec from the session of 7 June.)
2th citizen preparatory meeting for the BAPE
The 24 last may, the MARE in collaboration with the Citizen Coalition Yes to the Great Tourbière of Blainville, NO to Stablex, Emergency Water andEnvironmental Action Basses-Laurentides, presented a 2nd Zoom information session to facilitate the preparation of comments and/or citizen briefs for the BAPE, as well as to organize other actions (gathering, petition, open letter, …)
To see the recording of this meeting, click here.
1st citizen meeting preparatory to the BAPE
A Zoom meeting organized by citizens with the logistical assistance of the MARE took place on Tuesday the 2 May, to allow people to learn more about this subject and to prepare for the first part of the BAPE public consultation on this issue.
You were unable to attend the Zoom preparatory meeting ? You can watch it nowby clicking here.
Sign the petition !!!
You can help save the Great Blainville peatland right now by signing this petition.