Great Blainville and Stablex peat bog

It's in the great millenary peat bog of Blainville, a rich ecosystem, that the Stablex company wanted 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 theLandfill Alert Coalition Rivière du Nord, to create a Coalition of environmental groups to oppose the Stablex request. Here is, starting with the most recent, the actions that were taken and the victories achieved through these actions.

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 :

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.

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