Garbage 'juice' leaking from trucks stinks, says fed up Saint-Henri resident

A Saint-Henri resident says the Southwest borough needs to do more to stop liquid garbage from leaking out of collection trucks and onto neighourhood streets.

Eric Burnet told CBC Montreal's Daybreak that he's noticed the sludge sloppingfrom garbage trucks on a few occasions.

• How one Montreal neighbourhood has become a battleground in Canada's gentrification debate

"One morning in particular I was a couple of blocks behind the garbage truck and this juice was leaking in quantities I would say bucketfuls and I had to dodge it on my bike," he said.

"I saw people getting out of their cars and stepping in it and gagging."

'Diapers, medicine and chemicals'

Burnet said he's worried that the sludge could be toxicgiven the makeup of household waste and pointed to soileddiapers,medicine and chemicals in particular.

"This stuff is on the ground, people step in it, even once it's dried. Children are walking through it. I'm concerned mainly for children and people who walk or use their bikes regularly," he said.

He posted about it on theSt-HenricommunityFacebookpage and said around 30 people replied.

He alsodecided to capture it on video, hoping the evidence would encourage the borough to take action.

Maintenance issue, or normal?

Burnet called the city's 311 information line to complain and once raised his concerns with city employees working on the trucks. In both cases, he was told a street-cleaning truck would come by and wash away the mess.

"That's nice, it's appreciated except it doesn't address the maintenance issue," Burnet said.

Research he's conducted suggests the trucks are leaking because they're either poorly maintained oroverloaded.

The Southwest borough refused CBC's request for an interview, but spokesman Thierry Larrive said the leaking sludge is normal.

"The trucks are made like that. The juice has to go somewhere. We send tankers to hose the asphalt whenever we have a complaint. It's not just in Saint-Henrithat this is a problem," he said.

Burnet said it's "unreasonable" that citizens have to call every time a truck leaks.

"From what I see, it happens every garbage day throughout Saint-Henri, every time," he said.

More stories aboutSaint-Henri:

• How one Montreal neighbourhood has become a battleground in Canada's gentrification debate
• Sleepless inSt-Henri:Turcotwork has residents seeing red