Air quality study suggests no hazard from smell in Moncton's north end

An air quality study suggests there's no health risk from foul smells that have prompted years of complaints in Moncton's north end, but a debate about how to address the smell is set to ramp up in the new year.

Complaints about smells of sewage and chemicals that occasionally waft through the area prompted council to hire Hive Engineering to determine if the odours are harmful.

"Hive's testing has not found anything to suggest toxic levels in the chemicals," Tim Moerman, the city's director of environmental planning management, told councillors Monday. 

"They were testing for over 70 of them. That doesn't make the smells any less bad, but at least we know that they don't seem to be dangerous from an outdoor health perspective."

Councillors voted to continue discussing ways to reduce the odours from potential sources, which include the TransAqua sewage composting facility and glass recycler Rayan Environmental Solutions.

TransAqua, previously known as the Greater Moncton Wastewater Commission, treats sewage from Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview at a plant along the Petitcodiac River.

Sewage biosolids are sent to its compost operation south of Berry Mills Road in Moncton. The material is mixed with bark and wood chips before being stored on outdoor pads with blowers that aerate it.

Covers are placed on the piles to control the smell, and the material remains on the site for about a year before it's ready to be distributed as compost.

After hearing Hive's finding, council voted 5-4 on Monday to continue discussions with TransAqua about ways to deal with the smell, including asking its board to "explore" options such as moving its composting operation into a building or relocating. 

The split vote followed a debate about whether the motion was too weakly worded, and questions about the city's authority to direct the regional commission's board.

Nick Robichaud, the city's general manager of legal and legislative services, told council he needed more time to look into the legalities.

"I think it would be very difficult for us to direct them as one council," he said.

Another motion introduced Monday by councillors Bryan Butler and Dave Steeves calls for Moncton to "insist" TransAqua build a structure with filtration to contain the smell, or move its composting facility outside the city.

Their motion will be debated next month. 

Steeves told reporters that residents describe a sewage smell that makes it seem they are living in a porta-potty.

"We're just really standing up for the residents and saying enough is enough," Steeves said.

No one from TransAqua was present at the council meeting. 

Kevin Rice, TransAqua's general manager, said in an email Monday evening that he had just received Hive's report and was reviewing it.

He did not directly respond to the motion set for debate in January but said TransAqua continues to comply with the conditions of its provincial operating permit. 

Rice has previously said upgrades at TransAqua's wastewater treatment plant led to a significant increase in material trucked to the composting site. 

The composting plant has been in operation since 2005, when there were fewer people living and working nearby.

At the time, there were about 20 to 25 homes and four or five commercial operations within two kilometres, according to a report prepared for TransAqua released in 2022. That had increased to about 300 homes, a school and 20 businesses by 2022.

The provincial government previously called on TransAqua and Rayan to take steps to address smells. 

Among the steps TransAqua's board approved last year was an expansion of the composting facility to handle more volume, buying more covers for the piles of composting material, and reducing movement when the wind is blowing toward homes. 

It also purchased land outside the city to store excess material.