Quebec police set up 'surprise operation' against illegal waste dumping in Oka

Quebec's provincial police conducted an operation in Oka to prevent the illegal dumping of hazardous materials into the Lake of Two Mountains, without warning the Kanehsatà:ke band council.

About 10 Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and provincial roadside inspectors stopped and checked trucks going through Oka on Monday morning.

The local Kanien'kehá:ka community and residents of nearby Oka have complained for months about truckers illegally dumping waste in Kanehsatà:ke, 50 kilometres west of Montreal, which the SQ said prompted the "surprise operation."

Side roads were also patrolled to intercept truckers bypassing the main road, said Marc Tessier, an SQ spokesperson, in an interview with Radio-Canada's Espaces autochtones.

The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) confirmed that eight trucks were intercepted, and a statement of offence was issued.

The automobile insurance board also says three notices of non-compliance, in the form of warnings, were handed out concerning missing information and missing proof of insurance. 

One vehicle was taken out of service due to major mechanical defects.

'Too little, too late'

Kanehsatà:ke Grand Chief Victor Bonspille said he had not been informed of the operation by the police. "It's a good idea, but not informing me is not a good start," he wrote to Espaces autochtones.

"It's too little, too late, but every effort may send a message to other companies that [the dumping] is not acceptable," added chief and former grand chief Serge Otsi Simon.

Vice-chief Etienne Brant said the SQ also kept him in the dark about their operation, but he's happy something is being done.

"It's a first step, but you have to realize that if loading is stopped one day, it continues the next," he said.

He says there's a lot more work to be done, and wants long-term solutions.

Julie Tremblay is part of a group of Oka residents who say they're fed up with the inaction over the illegal dumping sites.

"[This kind of operation] is new. We welcome it as good news, but it's a one-off intervention and we're asking for a long-term plan," she said.

A few weeks ago, the coalition of citizens' and environmental groups threatened to block roads to prevent trucks from reaching the Kanien'kehá:ka community.

Since the closure of the G&R dump, many have noticed the emergence of illegal dumps in Kanehsatà:ke.

Pascal Quevillon, mayor of Oka, was pleased with the police initiative.

"It's better late than never," he said. "But 90 per cent of the problem has been solved. We've put a lot of pressure on the truckers in recent months. We told them it was illegal to dump soil in the Lake of Two Mountains and on flood-prone land."

Simon also told Radio-Canada he believes the problem has certainly diminished, but truckers are still seen on some lots.

According to Quevillon, most companies have shown good faith. He insists, however, that the Kanehsatà:ke band council must pass a law banning trucking and tampering.

Brant said this request from the mayor is nothing new.

"Once again, responsibility is being passed on to us, even though we don't have the means or resources to do so. I'm not surprised," he said.