Sanimax strikes deal with government to put end to foul smells in Rivière-des-Prairies

The days of carcass spills and foul smells are numbered in Montreal’s Rivière-des-Prairies borough.

Sanimax, the animal rendering plant in Montreal’s east end,  has reached a deal with the city and the province to put an end to the stench.

“We were ecstatic. It’s our David vs. Goliath moment,” said Joseph Paglia, one of several residents who have been pushing the company to make changes.

Paglia has been complaining about terrible smells in the area, asking the company to take measures for nearly 10 years.

“I would classify it as a cross between wet dog food that’s been in your bag for the last three days and rotting animal flesh carcasses, chicken carcasses that you left on the counter for maybe a few days,” Paglia said of the smell the plant emanates.

Now, he says, people living nearby will soon be able to have their summers outside without the smell of fetid air pushing them back indoors.

To make that happen, Sanimax has agreed to build a garage so there will be no more stinky trucks out in the open. They will move the truck entrance to the back, so trucks don’t have to drive by people’s homes. and will also install an air purification system.

They also committed to building a water processing plant to treat ammonia-contaminated water before they throw it to the river.

The province will designate the area as a special intervention zone, making it easier for the company to make the modifications.

“We’re already in execution mode and our teams are mobilized to implement the measures,” said Martial Hamel, Sanimax CEO.

The city fined the company multiple times, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sanimax and the city were then locked in a heated legal battle that went all the way to Quebec’s Superior Court.

Then the Quebec government stepped in and all stakeholders sat at the table.

Coun. Lisa Christensen is one of them, saying she is relieved, but that a deal doesn’t mean it’s all over.

The judge ordered all the work to be completed by 2027 and says she will be keeping an eye out to make sure it is done.

“Two eyes,” Christensen said. “I will be ever present in Rivière-des-Prairies.”