Video showing what appears to be a major pollution spill into the Yamaska River, in the municipality of Saint-Damase near Saint-Hyacinthe, has been broadcast on Facebook since July 4.
The opaque red-orange flow comes out of a pipe on the bank of the river. An industrial spill is suspected.
The sentinel of the Yamaska River associated with the Fondation Rivières, Jacques Tétreault, sent an official complaint to the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change in Longueuil. Urgence-Environnement was also seized of the file.
Fondation Rivières is concerned that such releases are occurring. Certain categories of industries are not sufficiently monitored according to the Foundation, which has also identified this problem in its strategic plan.
This time, pictures are worth a thousand words to describe the importance of the situation. It is unfortunately still a reality, in 2015, that such situations occur regularly on our waterways. “It is everyone's responsibility to denounce this type of situation,” maintains Mr. Tétreault, who finds it both distressing and discouraging that such a situation arises, barely two years after the Estates General on Water. of watershed of the Yamaska. “The population is now aware of this type of issue. People want a clean river and pure water. Gestures of such savagery cannot be tolerated! » continues Mr. Tétreault.
Photo: Gilles Doaire
