The president of the Régie, Éric Dubé, admits it straight away: the issue of organic waste collection in the sector is more laborious
provided that.
« Unfortunately, the steps are much more complicated than we thought. […] We will try to do it as quickly as possible because citizens expect it and elected officials too. »
The municipal elections in November as well as the pandemic, according to him, considerably slowed down the establishment of the service. In addition, environmental authorizations also took longer to obtain than expected, he notes.
Éric Dubé is Mayor of New Richmond and Prefect of the MRC de Bonaventure (archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Luc Paradis
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First, the Régie will acquire the technical landfill site (LET) of Saint-Alphonse, who agreed to cede it to him. This is very good news for us
, mentions Mathieu Lapointe, prefect of the MRC Avignon.
LET at this control, it requires many months of work on the part of professionals. Once this will be done, we will be able to tackle the composting platform, to find solutions to compost “,” text “:” Including the LET to this authority, that requires many months of work from the share of professionals. Once this is done, we will be able to tackle the composting platform, to find solutions to compost “}}”>Encompass the LET at this control, it requires many months of work on the part of professionals. Once this is done, we will be able to tackle the composting platform, to find solutions for composting.
, adds the chosen one.
Scraps and peels of fruits and vegetables. (archives)
Photo : iStock
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The Régie adopted a loan by-law of $ 7 million last spring. However, it is still awaiting approval from the provincial government. It’s been since June, I think, that all this has been sent and it is not settled
, deplores Éric Dubé.
Several steps to come
The government of François Legault wants to introduce organic waste collection in all cities of Quebec by 2025. This deadline, which has been postponed several times, was previously set at 2022.
On the Baie-des-Chaleurs side, the schedule has also been revised on several occasions. Moreover, Eric Dubé now avoids pronouncing on a new deadline.
The one who is also prefect of the MRC de Bonaventure adds, however, that the LET should officially come under the Régie in 2022. In addition, Saint-Alphonse, which has still not joined the merger, should do so next year.
Municipality of Saint-Alphonse (archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose
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As the municipality owns the LET, which is itself the subject of another intermunicipal agreement, it preferred to delay its membership to avoid legal imbroglios. All the other municipalities in Baie-des-Chaleurs are members of the Régie.
At least another year
The collection service will therefore probably not be operational next year. It would be amazing if the platform was ready by the end of 2022
, confirms Mathieu Lapointe.
Mathieu Lapointe is also mayor of Carleton-sur-Mer. (archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Roxanne Langlois
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The MRC d’Avignon and Bonaventure began talks in October 2018 to unite on this issue. These lasted more than a year and a half due to administrative delays.
The citizens of Gaspé have had access to a public composting system since the summer of 2018. The MRC du Rocher-Percé was already far ahead; its population has access to a service set up in 2012.
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