CCES Performs Odor Evaluation to Help Settle Community Dispute
Climate Change & Environmental Services (CCES) performed an odor evaluation of a controversial source to help end a longstanding dispute in a New York small town. For years, a warehouse handing and storing food flavorings and spices was a good neighbor in the residential area. But over time, odor complaints began to rise. While the odors were initially perceived as “pleasant” (mainly vanilla, berry, and other “natural” scents), in time, the neighbors tired of it and felt it affected their quality of life.
The Village hired CCES as a third party technical resource to evaluate the problem and recommend both potential solutions and more focused ways to monitor odor episodes. CCES met with the citizens of the affected neighborhood and let them speak out about what they had experienced. Marc Karell of CCES held an educational seminar to explain the basics of odors, how they are measured, and their meaning. He helped them organize worksheets to record information that could be useful to the source and the Village in future evaluations.
Marc also worked with the plant in question to hear their side of the story and determine low cost, potential solutions. One such solution centered around the plant’s odor control equipment that may not have been utilized properly and was, possibly, making the odors worse. CCES recommended to the plant a number of cost-effective operational and equipment options to reduce the number and severity of odor episodes and how to reach out to win back the neighbors’ trust, which was particularly important as they wished to get approval for a planned plant expansion. The company appreciated the technical and outreach advice.
CCES prepared a technical report for the Village highlighting the odor issues at hand. Both sides learned about the nature of odors, and were brought together to resolve the issue for mutual benefit.
CCES has technical experts experienced in evaluating odor episodes or any air discharge to determine potential cause and recommend effective, inexpensive options to remediate. Plus, we can work with community or environmental groups to educate technically and help settle disputes amicably.
