Steve Ryan oversees the cleanup of 110 abandoned fish sauce tanks in the Canadian town of St. Mary's.
The town of St. Mary's, Newfoundland and Labrador, has begun a major cleanup operation to remove 110 abandoned tanks of fermented fish sauce that have produced a foul odor for over 20 years. Steve Ryan, the volunteer mayor, described the stench as the worst rotted fish smell imaginable, noting that the odor has haunted the community since the Atlantic Seafood Sauce Company shut down. Crews are currently draining the tanks and mixing the waste with peat moss to absorb the liquid before transporting it to a specially engineered disposal pit. The project costs 1.7 million Canadian dollars, with the provincial government providing the funding after years of lobbying by the town. While the federal government did not contribute to the cost, the community took out a loan to help initiate the project. Glenn Sharp, the owner of Sharp Management, noted that the waste is a unique classification. Ryan expressed relief that the community's long-term effort to replace the odor with a sense of accomplishment marks the end of a successful crusade for local funding.