The Quebec government has granted temporary approval for the expansion of the largest landfill in Terrebonne, as it nears full capacity within a year. The decision, announced in the Official Gazette, allows for a vertical expansion without the need for an environmental impact assessment due to the urgent need for additional space.
Complexe Enviro Connexions, the operator of the landfill, will be able to accommodate an extra 1.2 million tonnes of waste without enlarging its physical size. Situated north of Montreal, this landfill is the primary disposal site in the Montreal Metropolitan Community, handling around 30% of the city’s waste.
The facility in Terrebonne currently accepts various types of waste, including household garbage, construction materials, and industrial waste, in addition to recyclable and organic materials. Maxime Doyon, a company spokesperson, confirmed that initial work for the vertical expansion has already commenced.
Despite the temporary expansion, the company is also pursuing a long-term expansion project to extend the landfill’s life until 2043, which is still undergoing environmental assessment. The urgency for temporary expansion was highlighted to prevent waste diversion issues across the Montreal Metropolitan Community.
The City of Montreal has fallen short of its waste reduction targets, diverting only 49% of waste from landfills in 2024. The city aims to achieve a 70% diversion rate by 2025 and 85% by 2030, with organic waste remaining a significant component of the disposed material.
Karel Ménard, from the Quebec Common Front for Ecological Waste Management, criticized the reliance on emergency decrees for waste management planning, highlighting the lack of proactive measures. The Quebec Environment Ministry defended the temporary expansion, stating that bypassing the environmental review process was necessary due to the urgent circumstances.