A cleanup project costing $1.2 million is in progress in St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador, to remove over 100 tanks of rotten fish sauce that have emitted a foul odor for more than 20 years. The supply of fermented fish sauce was left behind when the Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company closed down more than two decades ago.
Workers are in the process of draining approximately 110 tanks, each capable of holding 3,000 gallons of the pungent liquid. The waste will then be mixed with peat moss to absorb moisture before being transported by trucks to a large pit lined with high-density polyethylene. The material will be buried with topsoil.
The dilapidated factory, containing the abandoned fish sauce, has subjected the town of roughly 300 residents to an overwhelming smell. The factory itself has deteriorated significantly, with a roof blown off and a wall damaged by a storm in January.
Glenn Sharp, owner of Sharp Management, the company overseeing the cleanup, described the task as unique. "This is a special waste," Sharp stated, noting that it does not fit standard waste classifications. St. Mary's volunteer mayor, Steve Ryan, characterized the smell as "the worst rotted fish you ever smelled in your lifetime, times 100."
Ryan, who briefly worked at the factory after high school in 1990, mentioned that the town had been advocating for provincial government funding for the cleanup for years. He expressed frustration that the town felt overlooked, stating, "Every door we came to was just closed in our face. … They forgot about us."
The community secured a loan of 198,000 Canadian dollars (approximately $140,973) to initiate the project, with the expectation of reimbursement later. Ryan emphasized the relief the cleanup brings to the small town, which he felt was left to manage the issue independently for many years. The federal government has not contributed financially to the cleanup effort.