Evening Smells in Eugene

[beamorrison]

The smell is probably coming from the waste treatment plant on River Av at the River Road and Beltline intersection.

[ima]

Probably all of the above and the pig farm.

[RainRainRainRain*sun*Rain]

I live on the northern edge of Santa Clara and agree, this is a reoccuring evening/late night sewage-like smell that occurs mostly during the summer (late June to late September). I checked with the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) once and they said the wind was coming from the north the night in question.

However, the only nearby sewage treatment plant is on River Ave (to the south) along with a biosolids management facility off of Awbrey Lane (to the west). During the summer, the wind in the Willamette valley blows mostly from the north--this is why I've heard Eugene called the "Chimney of the Willamette Valley."

Because of the north wind, LRAPA suggested the sewage smell was possibly from the Georgia-Pacific tissue paper pulp plant in Halsey. However, LRAPA can't do anything about it because Halsey is in Linn county.

This past Saturday evening (8/4) , My wife and I were driving south on I-5 just prior to the Harrisburg exit and my wife said, "That's the smell!" At that time, Halsey was north northwest of us....

[robinson666]

I can't believe no one has suggested EWEB, which is very close to the Ferry Street bridge. I used to work in downtown Eugene and was always asking what that nasty smell was. After I realized wet wood mulch smelled that way, I noticed that the EWEB plant close to the Ferry Street bridge had piles of it there.

[haggardhouseelf]

We totally smell this - mainly at night or in the early mornings and as someone else mentioned, mainly during late Summer to early fall. We are near the intersection of N. Delta hwy and Beltline in north Eugene (Cal Young neighborhood). It's a horrible smell, so we always close our windows.

Does anyone know if it is harmful to breath this awful smell in?

We are looking at homes to buy in South Eugene... can you smell this awful smell in South Eugene? My goodness - I hope not!

[RainRainRainRain*sun*Rain]

Hmmm.... Last summer (2008), when Pope & Talbot went bankrupt and shut down their tissue paper mill in Halsey, the smell went away. A month later, when a private equity firm bought the mill and restarted it, the smell returned.

It's probably some micro-climate in the north Eugene area that draws the heavier (smell) particulates back to earth. The Oregon DEQ says that both Halsey mills are not in violation of their air pollution permits but also that the DEQ doesn't regulate smell.

Complain to the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority (LRAPA) at lrapa@lrapa.org.
Compalin to the Oreogn DEQ at DEQInfo@deq.state.or.us (they ask that you include your county in the messge).

They'll ignore one voice but may pay attention to many.

[skypros]

I AM basically at the Beltline and Barger....
Saturday evening/night (1/10/09) there was a real bad smell.... not a @rap smell.... but it was a unpleasant smell.... and I don't think it was (forest products) compost.

[haggardhouseelf]

This is interesting... thank you... RainRainRainRain*sun*Rain... for that info!!

Skypros we smelled it Saturday night, too. We are near N. Delta and Green Acres...