Citizens have been complaining for several days about nauseating odors similar to turnips in the Maizerets and Limoilou districts, pointing the finger at the biomethanization plant.
Again on Friday morning, an episode of “rotten turnip” smell unpleasantly surprised residents of the area located near Domaine Maizerets, several of whom reported it on different citizen groups and on social networks.
Well aware of the situation, the Maizerets-Lairet district councilor, Claude Villeneuve, says he has been questioned on this subject by citizens since mid-May.
He believes that the city must act quickly in this matter. “The sunny days are coming and people keep their windows closed because they don’t want to be in that smell. […] we already have a lot of nuisances of different kinds in Limoilou and in Maizerets, I would like it if we don’t add any,” he says.
Photo STEVENS LEBLANC
“Very inconvenient”
The municipal councilor himself went there in recent days to notice the smell, which he describes as “very annoying”.
“Yesterday [jeudi] for example, I went to avenues de Villebond and de la Ronde, and it smelled really strong. Then driving on Dufferin-Montmorency with the windows open, it’s very noticeable,” he says.
Several hypotheses
On social networks, many citizens are pointing the finger at the biomethanization plant, which has been in operation for more than a year on Chemin de la Baie de Beauport.
“The people of Limoilou are used to White Birch and the incinerator, but this is a new phenomenon, these are smells that no one is used to,” adds Mr. Villeneuve.
He also raises the hypothesis that it could be a possible breakdown of equipment at the water treatment plant or operations in the port of Quebec.
Verifications in progress
Mr. Villeneuve affirms that the municipal administration recently observed the problem. Environmental technicians would also be on the ground, to try to shed light on the origin of this unpleasant odor, he said.
However, no spokesperson for the City of Quebec had returned our requests on this subject on Friday afternoon.
The opposition leader at City Hall invites citizens to call 311 to report other episodes linked to this bad smell, to help the municipal administration eradicate the problem.
