The province’s “number one” gypsum recycler, Recycle Gypse Québec, has discreetly ceased its activities, abandoning a “significant quantity of residual materials”. The Exo public transport company, owner of the land, now risks having to face a bill of more than a million dollars to clean up the site because the owner of Recycle Gypse declared bankruptcy this fall, noted The duty.
By ceasing its activities last spring, Recycle Gypse Québec left a legacy of more than 6,000 tonnes of construction residue, gypsum powder and concrete blocks on a site located in Delson, in Montérégie, which belongs to Exo. In total, there are more than 20,000 m3 of residual materials, the equivalent of 1000 ten-wheel trucks, which are piled up pell-mell in two buildings.
Before deleting its website, Recycle Gypse Québec presented itself as the “number one” in gypsum recycling in the province. The company claimed to be motivated by environmental values: “All our operations are carried out in harmony with nature and the environment, this is a source of pride for our company. »
The presence of residual materials on the site led to a legal standoff between the company and the site owner. Exo has been suing Recycle Gypse since November 2021, attempting to force the company to clean up the land. “Despite several promises made over time, Exo found that the company was not respecting its commitments and finally ended the occupation of the site in June 2023,” explains Exo in an email sent to Duty.
In recent years, Delson’s administration has also turned to the courts, arguing that Recycle Gypse did not comply with municipal regulations which prohibit the outdoor storage of recovered materials. In 2020, the Municipal Court ruled in favor of the City.
Forced to clean up the site, Exo launched a call for tenders for this purpose last week. The transport company indicates that a “significant quantity of residual materials”, estimated at 6,000 tonnes, was left by its former tenant. According to current prices in the industry, having such a volume should exceed a million dollars.
Exo has not terminated legal proceedings against Recycle Gypse. She is still asking the judge to “order Recycle Gypse to pay the sum required for the cleaning and restoration of the premises,” explains Exo. A hearing on the merits is scheduled for November 2024.
However, even if a judge rules in favor of the transport company, there is no indication that the organization will be able to recover the sums. Last November, the company’s owner, Mathieu Fortier-Mercier, declared bankruptcy, noted The duty.
It was impossible to speak with the latter. His lawyer, Karl-Emmanuel Harrison, however, clarified by email that this personal bankruptcy “included the value of the shares of Recycle-Gypse Québec inc., valued at $1.” He also confirmed that the company will cease operations in May 2023.