Hazardous waste dumped on Luskville dead-end road

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Some of the waste leaking from the barrels.

Allyson Beauregard



Some of the waste leaking from the barrels.

Allyson Beauregard

MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – While out for a run with his dog on March 25, Richard Mainville came across five large barrels dumped along the edge of Therien Road where he and his girlfriend Lisa Bilodeau live. According to Bilodeau, most of the barrels were leaking a sticky blue
substance onto the ground which Mainville, who works in the construction industry, speculated it was a form of insulation spray foam that is also toxic.
“The barrels were found at the end of the road, which is a dead end. It appears as though the culprits tried to toss the barrels over the hill, but were unable to; they can be seen from the road,” said Bilodeau, who believes the barrels were dumped
during the day on the 25th. “My boyfriend discovered them at about 1pm and given the extreme weather the night before, the barrels would have been covered in ice and snow, but they were not,” she explained. 
After Mainville discovered the spill, he phoned the Municipality of Pontiac but was unable to reach them due to the holidays. After the holidays, the Municipality contacted the Ministry of the Environment, but according to Dominic Labrie, Communications Manager, they were told the issue was not within their jurisdiction since the barrels are located on NCC property. The Municipality has since filed a complaint with the NCC regarding the issue. “We are not positive what’s in
the barrels, so for safety reasons, we haven’t intervened,” added Labrie.
Other residents who live on the road also became aware of the dumping and one resident turned the barrels upright to prevent any further leaks and damage. “Due to the heavy rain right after the Easter holidays, most of the spill has seeped into the ground. There are some traces of the blue substance on
the ground, but most has been washed away,” explained Bilodeau.
As of press time, the barrels still had not been removed.