About 120 people attended an initial information meeting on October 5 concerning the construction of a composting platform on the Saint-Télesphore territory. 

Reserved exclusively for citizens of the municipality of some 800 people, the meeting was held the day after the MRC council meeting at which several concerned citizens attended and voiced their disagreement with the site selection.

"We were given a full presentation on the composting platform, which gave us a better understanding of the project and showed us that we're talking about something promising. However, we left the information session with the same concerns we had at the start," says Mélanie Pilon, a resident of the area where the MRC is planning to set up the platform and spokesperson for the citizens' group.

For Mélanie Pilon, there are still many unanswered questions. "Mr. Charbonneau (Hugues Charbonneau, General Manager of the Société de gestion des matières résiduelles de Vaudreuil-Soulanges at the MRC) has repeatedly said that the site chosen was not ideal, but that it is the one that meets the fewest constraints according to Ministry of the Environment standards," adds Ms. Pilon. 

It should be remembered that a number of regulatory constraints must be respected when setting up a composting platform, including keeping a distance of one kilometer from residences, businesses and public places, avoiding pipelines, railroads, power transmission lines, maple groves, etc. as far as possible.

"Mr. Charbonneau has also confirmed that no studies have yet been carried out, but it's ironic to see that with these same standards, they have decided on a site where there will be several major environmental impacts," laments the Rang Saint-Antoine resident.  

Preliminary studies by the Ministry of the Environment must be completed by December 31 in order to secure the government subsidy. 

"Also, once the MAMH has given its approval for the borrowing by-laws, we will be able to start the environmental studies as early as 2024. Citizen involvement is planned at every stage of our project. This is the MRC's biggest environmental project, and we want it to be exemplary," said Catherine St-Amour, Communications Manager for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, on September 28.

To be read

What do you think of the project to set up a composting platform in Vaudreuil-Soulanges?

Saint-Télesphore's future composting platform receives attention at MRC board meeting

Saint-Télesphore to get a composting platform

"We were also "surprised" to learn that they will be installing leachate retention basins. That the leachate will be treated by a drip system using willows, before being released back into the environment, without knowing what will happen in winter with frost or in the event of heavy rain," adds Mélanie Pilon.

That said, the group of citizens opposed to the choice of site remains concerned about the project.

"Knowing that zero risk does not exist, we have the impression that the project is not complete, or at least not as perfect as they're trying to make us feel, and that's not reassuring.  We also feel a sense of urgency on their part to impose this project on us and then fix the mistakes afterwards. They're trying to sell us on the project, but it lacks concrete details and explanations, as well as measures in case of problems," says the spokeswoman.

"In short, we still believe that the site chosen for the composting platform represents risks, including water contamination and will have a major impact on our environment, destroying a forest and the entire surrounding ecosystem in a green zone. This kind of project has no place here," concludes Mélanie Pilon.

Meetings with the residents of Saint-Télesphore, as well as with the entire population of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, are planned between now and the start-up of the composting site. 

The dates, times and locations of these meetings will be announced in due course.