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Neighbor from hell: 110 tanks of rotting fish sauce plague Canadian town
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland /Environment & Climate

Neighbor from hell: 110 tanks of rotting fish sauce plague Canadian town

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Approximately 110 tanks containing fermented fish sauce, left behind by the defunct Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company, have created a severe odor problem in St. Mary's, Canada.
  • The company went bankrupt over 20 years ago, and the fermentation process has continued undisturbed in the abandoned tanks, releasing a potent stench.
  • Cleanup efforts are underway, costing approximately 4.7 million Polish zล‚oty, with the town securing a short-term loan to cover its financial contribution.

Residents of St. Mary's, Canada, have endured a persistent, foul odor emanating from about 110 tanks of rotting fish sauce. The source is the abandoned site of the Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company, which ceased operations over 20 years ago.

It was the worst rotten fish you can imagine, multiplied by a hundred.

โ€” Steve RyanMayor Steve Ryan of St. Mary's described the pervasive stench from the abandoned fish sauce tanks.

Each tank holds roughly 11,300 liters of fermented fish sauce. With broken windows, a collapsed roof, and a wall that gave way during a winter storm, the fermentation process has continued unabated. Bacteria have broken down the contents, releasing a characteristic stench that permeates the surrounding area, especially when the wind blows towards the town.

It was very frustrating. We knocked on every door without success. We felt like we were simply forgotten.

โ€” Steve RyanMayor Steve Ryan spoke about the town's long struggle to get provincial authorities to address the fish sauce problem.

St. Mary's Mayor Steve Ryan described the smell as "the worst rotten fish you can imagine, multiplied by a hundred." He expressed relief as cleanup operations began this week, noting the town's long struggle to convince provincial authorities to fund the remediation. Ryan also highlighted that the federal government did not contribute to the costs, calling the experience "very frustrating" after years of unsuccessful appeals.

It is a very specific type of waste. It doesn't fit into any standard category.

โ€” Glenn SharpGlenn Sharp, owner of Sharp Management, described the unique challenge of cleaning up the fermented fish sauce.

The cleanup operation involves specialized crews pumping the liquid from the tanks and mixing it with peat to absorb moisture. The material is then placed in a specially prepared, polyethylene-lined pit. Glenn Sharp, owner of Sharp Management, the company overseeing the project, called it one of the most unusual tasks he has encountered, noting that the waste doesn't fit any standard category. The total cost of the operation is around 4.7 million Polish zล‚oty, with the town having to take out a short-term loan of approximately 550,000 zล‚oty to cover its share. Ryan hopes the completion of the work will allow residents to finally forget the smell that has long been a symbol of their town.

We are a small community and for a long time we were left to ourselves. But we fought because we knew we were right.

โ€” Steve RyanMayor Steve Ryan reflected on the community's perseverance in addressing the environmental issue.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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