Say good-bye to bad smells; WMS makes things right at the centre

This article was published in the Edmonton Examiner on May 16. It does a great job outlining actions taken to address odours from the EWMC.

Authour: Ed Gibbons, City Councillor, Ward 4 

Last summer I heard from a number of my constituents concerned about the smell coming from the Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC). In response to these concerns, Waste Management Services has taken some immediate action while continuing to develop a long-term strategy to reduce and control odour emissions at the EWMC. Some of these initiatives include: 

• The Edmonton Composting Facility is fully enclosed and has a biofilter system to remove odours before they're released to the air. Door and window seals have been replaced and major improvements have been made to the aeration floors and biofilter system. 
• An odour misting system is in operation in key areas of the Integrated Processing and Transfer Facility and the Edmonton Composting Facility. This misting system sprays an organic compound that neutralizes the odours. 
• Several operations, including compost turning, are restricted when the potential for odours is high. 

Last fall, Waste Management Services also hired an odour expert to conduct a preliminary assessment of odour emissions and their control at the EWMC. The next step is a complete inventory of all odour sources, including the waste processing facilities and the bio-solids lagoons. The city's goal is to reduce the odours as much as possible. 

A community liaison committee has been created to share information with the community on the odour management activities.

As always you can contact me at (780) 496-8138 or ed.gibbons@edmonton.ca