City maps 94 former garbage dump sites

Parc Pere-Marquette in Rosemont sits over an old quarry and dumping site.

Do you live on or near a former garbage dump site? If so, how concerned should you be?

The city of Montreal has released a new map with 94 sites.

Following an investigative report by Radio-Canada last fall, the city decided to compile all the information it could find on old quarry and dumping sites.

They can all be found on a map on the city’s website.

Montreal North, LaSalle, St-Leonard and Ile Bizard are not listed. If your borough isn't listed, that's because the city said it never found any information about old quarries or dumping sites.

Still a work in progress, the city said it will be updating the map.

According to the city, quarries were used to extract stone for construction over the last century.

They were then backfilled, many used as dump sites and then forgotten until parks and homes were built of top of them.

If you live on or near one, should you be worried?

The city says no. While they didn't test soil samples, they did look at methane gas levels in affected residential areas.

“There is no public safety issue and people living in Montreal have to be very sure there's no emergency,” said Real Menard, the Executive Committee member responsible for environment.

People should always be concerned and regular testing needs to be done, said Daniel Green, co-president of Montreal-based environment group SVP.

“Things change in hazardous waste sites or a landfill sites. Things move about. It depends on the temperatures. Sometimes if a site is heated by the sun, there are more gases that fused out. So things change,” he said.

The city said if you are concerned about biogases seeping into your home, they can help ease your fears.

“If they want to make sure there’s no problem with biogas, we have civil servant teams. They can move around in the boroughs… to make an evaluation,” said Menard.

Residents should contact their borough for an evaluation.