November 21, 2014
Court Orders Cleanup of Winnipeg Composting Business
Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship advises it has begun efforts to enforce Environmental Protection Order 2013-07 made under the Environmental Act against Samborski Environmental Limited.
The order directs Samborski Environmental to stop accepting new compost material and remove all existing compost material from its site on McGillivray Road. Samborski Environmental may operate composting facilities at another properly licensed location and their non-composting operations are not affected by this order.
Over the course of five years, Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship received over 500 complaints from local residents and businesses about excessive odour coming from the composting operation. After numerous inspections and interviews with local residents, area businesses and Samborski Environmental, the department concluded the odour was coming from the composting facility and was a pollutant under the Environment Act. The Manitoba government issued an order directing the company to stop receiving new composting material and remove existing composting material, but that order was challenged by Samborski Environmental.
On Oct. 21, the court dismissed a judicial review of this order, meaning the order is valid and can be enforced. Samborski Environmental has until Dec. 1 to stop accepting new compost material and remove all existing compost material. If the company does not complete the task, the Manitoba government will undertake the cleanup and recover costs from the company.
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