A group of people who want the smell to go away in their New Brunswick community are not going away themselves.
The Kent Clear Air Action Committee is made up of Richibucto, N.B., area residents who say the smell coming from a shell processing plant is ruining their way of life.
The Coastal Shell Products facility takes waste from the seafood industry and processes it into a variety of products including fertilizer and animal feed.
Committee co-chair Claudette Robichaud said it’s hard to describe the odour.
“It’s a rotten, rotten smell,” said Robichaud. “We've never smelled that. Even though I'm from a fishing town, I've never smelled that before.”
Robichaud and two other members of the committee travelled 45 minutes south to Moncton on Saturday to meet with the minister of local government and local governance reform.
Robichaud said Minister Daniel Allain is sympathetic toward their cause, but told them moving the plant out of the community may not be something the provincial government can do.
“It always comes to a cost and that's what he was asking is where do we get the money?” said Robichaud.
Allain told CTV News on Tuesday the province has been aware of the issue since last fall and he's working with both sides to try and find a solution.
“There are measures in place that the company has to adhere [to] and that's really important that they adhere [to them]. But if it's to the detriment to the health of the community, that's where we come in,” said Allain.
Allain called it a great meeting and said it’s important to have discussions like these.
“We understand what the citizens are going through,” said Allain.
Robichaud said the committee members were told if the province tries to shut down the shell drying plant it could face a lawsuit.
“He said that, basically, bringing them to court or shutting them down, the facility would have the option to bring them to court and to see why they shut them down. Because apparently, they are following all of the rules from the conditions of their permit,” said Robichaud.
If the company is breaking any provincial regulations, Allain says he's not aware of it and he stressed the province is doing what it can to find a solution for the municipality.
Later this week, a meeting will take place with the Town of Beaurivage’s mayor, the ministers of environment and the minister of education because the plant is right next door to a K-8 school.
Allain has also reached out to the owners of Coastal Shell Products and hopes to meet with them soon.
CTV News has made several attempts to reach a representative of Coastal Shell Products over the past three weeks, but all calls and emails have gone unanswered.
