Rotting fish sauce cleanup begins in Canadian town after 20 years of stench

Residents of St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador, are breathing a sigh of relief as a long-awaited cleanup operation has finally commenced to tackle an environmental hazard that has plagued the small Canadian town for over two decades. The source of the unbearable stench is an abandoned fish sauce factory, which left behind more than 330,000 gallons (1.25 million liters) of fermenting fish sauce in 110 tanks.

The Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company ceased operations in the early 2000s, leaving the decomposing fish sauce to fester. The uncontrolled fermentation process, driven by bacteria breaking down the fish, released potent, foul-smelling compounds that became a constant nuisance, especially during warmer weather. Mayor Steve Ryan described the odor as "the worst rotted fish you ever smelled in your lifetime, times 100."

For years, local officials and residents called for action, but the cleanup project faced significant delays due to disputes over responsibility and funding. The Newfoundland and Labrador government's approval of funding has now allowed the operation to move forward, offering hope for an end to one of the community's most persistent environmental problems.

The complex cleanup process involves carefully draining the fermenting liquid from the tanks. Since the waste cannot be disposed of conventionally, workers are mixing it with peat moss to absorb moisture, creating a manageable material. This treated waste is then transported using specialized equipment to a specially engineered landfill cell designed to prevent contamination, where it will be covered with soil.

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the worst rotted fish you ever smelled in your lifetime, times 100.