Nearly full snow dump sites could hamper clearing operations in region
A little over halfway through the winter, and most of the city ’s snow dumps are already nearly full.
With a snow-clearing operation nearly completed, and another 10 to 15 centimetres predicted for Wednesday, that could mean extra delays.
City spokesperson Marilyne Laroche Corbeil confirmed that on Wednesday seven of the city’s 11 snow dumps were already at least 80 per cent full and the Highway 13 site was closed because it had reached capacity.
The city of Montreal, which manages all snow disposal sites, has already temporarily closed two dumps last week, and in January it barred the borough of Côte–des– Neiges—Notre–Dame–de– Grâce from dumping snow at the Angrignon Blvd. dump in LaSalle.
That meant a slowdown in the borough’s snow-clearing operations because trucks got stuck in traffic en route to the Miron Quarry dump in St-Michel. Because of those delays, the city’s most populous borough was dead last in clearing snow from several early January snowfalls.
Laroche Corbeil acknowledged Wednesday that this overcapacity could delay upcoming snowclearing operations. However, she pointed out that the city’s snow dumps handle only half of the snow picked up from streets. About 25 per cent goes the quarry, and another 25 per cent to 16 snow chutes, which direct snow into the city’s sewer system. She said the snow chutes have a continuous capacity and can’t really fill up. The Miron Quarry also has a much greater capacity than the snow dumps.
To relieve overcapacity at dumps, the city requested permission from the province’s environment ministry last week to use the parking lot at the abandoned Hippodrome horse-racing track at the western end of Jean-Talon St. The city is already preparing the site, but as of Wednesday had not yet received permission to dump snow.
The city has acknowledged that the use of the Hippodrome is not a cure-all, as it has limited capacity.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante conveyed frustration at having to wait for the province’s permission.
“We’ll be taking measures to make sure we don’t contaminate the site,” Plante said. “But we shouldn’t have to ask Quebec every time we want to open a new site.”