Yes, odor is an air-quality problem: How to report it

| Environment | Gatewood | West Seattle news

Got a couple notes about a strong chemical-like odor in the Gatewood area at midday. Not an avalanche of reports, so at first we weren’t going to write about it – but it does provide an opportunity to remind you that odor IS an air-quality issue and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency wants to hear about it. So if something is persistent or otherwise worrisome, file a report – at least this will help them track it. The information is on the PSCAA website – you can file online or call during business hours.

Lisa March 17, 2010 (2:45 pm)

Here in the Belvidere neighborhood (by the footbridge) we smell a strong chemical smell, too. Smells a bit like fertilizer.

LP March 17, 2010 (2:59 pm)

ugh. like hurt your throat strong. can’t be good.

Chuck and Sally\\\\\\\'s Van Man March 17, 2010 (3:08 pm)

Interesting. When leaving my house near the California/Fauntleroy area around 1:00 I also thought the air smelled odd. It had a metallic bite to it, but I chocked it up to the volatile, cold spring air and thought “ozone.” Good to know it was just good old fashioned pollution (rolls eyes).

Chuck

bolo March 17, 2010 (3:23 pm)

Riding my bicycle back to WS from downtown around 2:00pm, I really noticed this strong chemical odor, strong all the way from midspan on the swing bridge to Jefferson Square. Tried not to breathe it too much, but climbing the hills, what else can you do? Smelled almost like that green toxic formula used to treat wood (anti termite) for ground contact.

Thanks for the link, going to report it now.

bolo March 17, 2010 (3:31 pm)

Just finished calling in the report, it was an answering machine. I wonder if they really do anything, reminds me of the airport noise report hotline.

herongrrrl March 17, 2010 (4:53 pm)

I noticed it on Beach Drive, too. Really strong and awful. It’s scary that it was such a wide-spread smell. I really want to know what it is that we’re being exposed to!

d March 17, 2010 (6:00 pm)

Weird.

I noticed that fertilizer-like smell here in Highland Park around midnight last night.

But, I did not notice it today.

LP March 17, 2010 (6:22 pm)

From an old WSB thread on the chemical smell:
https://westseattleblog.com/2008/07/reader-report-another-mystery-smell
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This is a very important issue for us in WS, The fumes you smell are from the cement plants. The emissions from these plants contain MERCURY. Got that, MERCURY. This is poisoning us. The EPA is currently reviewing acceptable levels of M. Please get involved in demanding that these plants, either put in the technologies that will completely scrub the air and wastewater, or move elsewhere and build new plants. The LaFarge plant is one of the oldest in the country and the plant produces more pollution then new plants. This show on KUOW is extremely informative,
http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=14375
Comment by P.v — July 23, 08 2:38 pm
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If what you are smelling has an odd chlorine-like or caustic odor to it you are most likely smelling Lafarge cement. I URGE you to call Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) whenever you smell this. PSCAA is in a huge state of denial about what is going on at Lafarge and we need as many people as possible to call in with odor complaints whenever there is a problem. I ride my bike by them daily and am almost obsessive-compulsive in my studying of their plume and wind direction. Almost without fail if they’re operating and the wind is blowing their plume towards our neighborhood we smell the smell. And I hate to scare folks…but they are burning tires in an old kiln facility. We should have some healthy concern here.

Comment by K — July 23, 08 6:12 pm #

LP March 17, 2010 (6:24 pm)

Um, YIKES. So yeah, please report to http://www.pscleanair.org (206) 343-8800, ext. 6

lina March 17, 2010 (8:28 pm)

i have been meaning to write in regarding the occasional smell of burning rubber i smell at 35th and roxbury. i feel like i tend to notice it on sundays and mondays. LP’s comment on the plant burning tires would make total sense, that is exactly what it smells like. thanks for posting the hotline WSB, i will call in next time.

tm March 18, 2010 (6:56 am)

I also smelled a really strong chemical smell in the air yesterday around 2:30pm when I was walking back to my office at Jefferson Square. Another co-worker was outside the door and said she could smell a really strong odor as well. We were trying to figure out the smell and best quess thought it smelled like bleach or chlorine. We thought it was very odd to smell that outside? Has anyone found out yet what the smell came from yesterday?

herongrrrl March 18, 2010 (9:48 am)

I just got a call back from them, after sending an email report yesterday evening. The person I spoke with said he got a lot of reports from WS yesterday and mentioned Lafarge specifically (although he didn’t say he thought they were the culprit for sure). He said they were planning to take an inspector out to them, hopefully tomorrow, but said that if we notice any odor again to call ASAP. It’s much easier for them to deal with it if they can hear about a problem in progress, and the 343 number mentioned upthread will send him a report even if he’s in the field at the time you call.

picot March 18, 2010 (10:20 am)

La Farge is LYING about it’s emissions. They have been caught recently falsifying reports. Here’s the kicker…they self monitor! This is one of the most toxic plants in the country. Read that again..one of the most toxic plants in the country and they have a record of lying about their emissions.
I don’t understand why the parents of this community aren’t on the steps of the Capital night and day. They are releasing Mercury throughout the area, your children’s brain cells are being effected. This plant needs to be shut down.

run March 18, 2010 (12:01 pm)

We also smelled the fertilizer-like smell on the afternoon of 3/17, near Fauntleroy and 38th. The smell reminded me of being at a plant nursery.

shocked March 18, 2010 (1:25 pm)

Recently moved to West Seattle and I noticed the smell and wasn’t sure what to make of it but it was potent and not like anything I have experienced it was a bad chemical smell.I will call next time I smell it for sure.

It seems like there should be a phone number posted on a billboard somewhere near the plant with the phone number you can call to report this issue. Some awareness for the new people living by this plant would be good.

agni March 18, 2010 (9:24 pm)

Also noticed the smell and have called in to report it in the past. It has been a while since the last time I smelled it, but definitely keep your noses in the air and call/email psclean air anytime you smell it.

I am also wondering if anyone has noticed the dense jet fuel smell at night? I have noticed it frequently in the last few weeks, always at night, by Brandon and 45th, and always so dense that I have to filter the air with my scarf or glove. I am reporting it to psclean air but it would be good to know if others have noticed it.

Long time WS resident March 26, 2010 (10:04 pm)

I hate to burst your bubbles but Lafarge isn’t burning tires right now and even if they were you wouldn’t smell it due to high heat in the kiln. Yes it’s an old plant but it’s not the biggest polluter in the nation…In fact it’s not even close. People need to stop hopping on the bandwagon and get FACTS. Just from reading your comments I can see that you don’t understand the pyro or production processes for cement plants. What about Ashgrove or St. Gobain (glass plant) or some of the other industries down there who almost ALL self report their emissions? That whole area is a SUPERFUND site…do you understand SUPERFUND? This isn’t just from Lafarge but from industry as a whole and cement plants don’t give off odors. I still urge you to call PSCAA but until you or them know for sure who the culprit is I don’t think we can point fingers. I bet that jet fuel smell is from them as well. Get a grip people.

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