Piles of batteries and scrap metal ignited in the courtyard of a recycling facility in Montreal’s eastern sector on Thursday, releasing a thick, white smoke that enveloped the city in noxious fumes.
The blaze at the American Iron and Metal (AIM) plant led to an inquiry by Quebec’s Environment Ministry and a health advisory from Santé Montréal.
Additionally, the City of Montreal declared it would annul the company’s operating license due to ongoing pollution infractions.
“Despite numerous appeals from the City of Montreal over the years to achieve compliance, persistent high levels of PCBs, particulate matter, and metals have been recorded at the property boundary of the company’s site,” stated Rosiane Tessier, a representative for the city’s executive committee.
This facility is situated in Montréal-Est, a municipality located near the eastern edge of Montreal Island.
Firefighters commenced their efforts to extinguish the fire at approximately 5:45 a.m., reporting that industrial materials were ablaze in the courtyard near the intersection of Henri Bourassa East and Rodolphe Forget boulevards.
Over 20 fire response units were dispatched to combat the flames.
However, thick smoke emanated from the location, causing traffic disruptions in the vicinity of the plant.
The Environment Ministry of Quebec was alerted at 6:30 a.m. regarding a fire in the courtyard, noting that the incident originated from a battery fire which subsequently spread to a scrap metal pile.
The white smoke plume drifted southwest, propelled by strong winds, as indicated by the Environment Ministry.
Firefighters were called to the scene Thursday morning at around 5:45 a.m. (Simon-Marc Charron/Radio-Canada)
Environment Canada reported wind speeds of 20 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching 40 kilometers per hour from the northwest.
No evacuation or confinement advisory was issued by the ministry, but a mobile laboratory was dispatched to the area to assess the potential risks posed by the smoke.
Some Montrealers woke up to a strange smell, prompting a public safety notice from the city and an investigation by Quebec’s Environment Ministry. Piles of batteries and scrap metal burned in the courtyard of a recycling plant in Montréal-Est on Thursday.
Santé Montréal released a notice via social media indicating that the fire had implications for air quality.
The advisory recommended that individuals experiencing symptoms like chest pain should remain indoors, keep windows closed, and limit outdoor physical activities.
Children, individuals with respiratory issues, pregnant individuals, seniors, and those working outdoors are considered to be at greater risk.
On Thursday morning, air quality monitoring services such as IQAir reported elevated particulate levels downwind of the AIM facility, with some areas classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
By Thursday afternoon, air quality measurements seemed to have stabilized, indicating “good” quality in most locations.
High Pollution Levels Around the Plant
Anne St-Laurent, the mayor of Montréal-Est, stated that the City of Montreal’s move to revoke the plant’s operating permit coinciding with the fire was purely coincidental.
She explained that the decision had already been made after years of environmental testing around the facility, which revealed high concentrations of hazardous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
The import, production, and sale of PCBs were prohibited in Canada in 1977. Discharging PCBs into the environment has been forbidden since 1985. The management, transportation, and disposal of PCBs are also strictly regulated, primarily under provincial laws.
St-Laurent noted that the company had neglected to reduce its emissions to the mandated levels. Consequently, the permit revocation requires the plant to halt the operation of three of its machines or lower emissions within 30 days.
“A company of this nature must adhere to the environmental standards set forth,” she remarked. “We granted them time to comply, but unfortunately they have not done so.”
An AIM representative stated that their teams were controlling the fire and confirmed that there were no injuries. The spokesperson mentioned the company was assessing communications received from the City of Montreal and “is currently reviewing its options.”
“It’s worth noting that AIM employs over 1,900 individuals in Québec, including 1,200 in the Montreal east end,” the spokesperson added. “AIM plays a vital role in the province’s circular economy.”