Special Intervention Zone (SIZ) in Montreal for Rendering Animal Carcasses
Report
July 3 Update: The new Special Intervention Zone (SIZ) for rendering animal carcasses in Montreal, came into effect following its publication in the Quebec Official Gazette.
What is an SIZ?: An SIZ establishes specific zoning regulations within a designated area to protect the environment and public health for a specified period as defined in the Decree. This SIZ, comprising 12 lots, is located at the current site of Sanimax in eastern Montreal, a company that has faced several challenges in managing odors and contaminated water discharges.
Objectives of the SIZ: Environmental Standards and Coexistence
The objectives of the SIZ are to immediately permit demolitions, construction, and the development of new buildings on this site to facilitate the environmental compliance of the plant. This includes adherence to Regulation No. 2001-10 on atmospheric discharges (Règlement numéro 2001-10 sur les rejets à l’atmosphère et sur la délégation de son application), as well as Regulation No. 2008-47 on water sanitation in the Montreal Metropolitan Community (Règlement numéro 2008-47 sur l’assainissement des eaux de la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal). The stated goal is to prevent the plant’s closure and the resulting problem in managing the disposal of inedible meat in Quebec.
Additionally, the aim is to enhance the coexistence of the plant’s operations with its neighbours and ensure public sanitation.
Provisions
The administrative office, maintenance garage, and Acier Mont-Royal building will be demolished and may be reconstructed elsewhere within the zone, except in the front yard facing residential areas. Openings of certain buildings facing the residential sector will be prohibited. New traffic regulations for plant vehicles will be implemented to reduce nuisances, including the prohibition of truck or trailer access on a boundary of the lot adjacent to 60th Avenue.
Buffer Zone
A buffer zone will also be installed on certain parts of the Sanimax site, including an area facing residential properties. This buffer zone will consist of green spaces with vegetation, trees, and shrubs, which may include pedestrian paths, consisting of one tree every ten meters.
Decree 989-2024 thus authorizes the demolition of certain buildings, their reconstruction elsewhere within the SIZ with adapted standards, and the creation of a buffer zone to improve coexistence between the company and its neighbors, as well as public health.