possible move to Billings with family (Missoula, Great Falls: rentals, house, promotional)

[revmommy]

My husband has been offered a possible transfer to Billings. My father in law said last time he was there it smelled of petrochemicals, which concerns us. What can you tell me about that? We would be moving from metro Detroit - and we'll take a hit on our house but I think it might be worth it. Any comments or suggestions? We have 4 young children. Thanks in advance.

[rickers]

We have to refine our gasoline somewhere. The refineries are where they are and anyone who chooses to live near one has to accept the smells. I don't like the smells and we don't have a refinery near our town but it has to be in someones area. Great falls and Black Eagle have refineries and we smelled them today when we went shopping there, (wasn't bad).
I would rather smell a whiff of a refinery over the stench of a paper mill any day. Here is a picture of the refinery across the street from the Wal-Mart in G.F.

[mtnlady]

It really depends on where in town you live and what the direction the wind is. There are 2 refineries along I-90 on the south east side of town, and 1 in Laurel. Usually wind goes from west to east, though obviously it can change. Therefore, most of the town doesn't smell.

There are 2 other scents to be aware of. There's a sugar beet factory on the south side of town and to me this is worse than refinery. Also, sometimes (depdending again where you are) you get a feedlot smell from livestock.

I wouldn't let this be too much of a concern--it seems like you'll get something in the wind no matter where you are.

[prairierose]

Air pollution data from C-D website: Air pollution trends in Billings

Pollutant: Particulate Matter (PM2.5): 7.5 µ/m3 in 2005 (it was 8.5 µ/m3 in 2000).
Pollutant: Sulfur Oxides Annual Mean at 4 sites: 0.0032 ppm in 2005 (it was 0.0048 ppm in 2000, 0.0156 ppm in 1990).

Another website lists air quality as 33 with 100 being best, and US average of 48

[sky1949]

I agree that the sugar beet factory puts out the worst smell. However, it is only for about a month in the fall, typically mid-October to mid-November. However, it isn't all day or every day. It's a small price to pay, and really isn't that bad--just noticeable...sort of an overly-sweet smell (naturally) like burnt sugar. I never smell the refineries. If you have lived in or near Detroit (or any large city), this is a total non-issue. I live in Billings, and could probably be considered biased, but I've lived in Idaho, several Montana towns, attended college in the midwest, travelled to many east-coast cities, and lived in many California locations. Billings doesn't have a problem with smell. Lewiston, Idaho and Missoula, Montana, on the other hand, are another story.

[trwmontana]

Just some thoughts that I hope are helpful. First of all, how long ago was it that he smelled petrochemicals in Billings? Speaking generally, there have been considerable national environmental regulations in the past thirty years. Make sure that these memories are not prior to such changes. Yes, Billings has a refinery, and you can probably see it in photos of the city that are not posted by promotional groups like the Chamber or tourism sites. You also can smell the refinery if you live in the general vicinity. But, unless I drive right past it, or the wind blows just right, then I cannot smell it. The same can be said of the refinery in Great Falls, the mill in Missoula, and any cattle yard in Montana or elsewhere.

Having lived much of my life in Montana, I have also spent years living in Phoenix, California, and Chicago. I have always found that such larger urban areas have a good deal of industrial smells in key areas (and you can obviously smell them as you drive past them). Montana would be the same, except on a much, much smaller scale. In addition, Billings would have significantly less airport and automobile pollution. All of Montana, for the most part, has much better air quality on average than most places in the country. In fact, I recently flew from Phoenix into Billings, got off the plane, walked out of the airport into the parking lot, and breathed in a deep breath of air that was cleaner than any city, Detroit most likely included. How many airport parking lots can anyone say don't smell like exhaust and pollution? This should be a good sign for easing your concerns.

So, unless you move into a home next to the refinery, you will more than likely find Billings, Montana air to be a considerable improvement over Detroit or any of the larger urban areas I have mentioned. I wouldn't worry if I were you.

[carila]

Just stay away from living in Lockwood if you have health concerns regarding the refineries. There seems to be an inversion or something there that gets the worst of it. I've lived on the West End and in The Heights and they are both fine! Check out Lockwood in the upper right part of this Billings map. As you can see, almost all of Billings is west of the refineries and as someone else said, the wind usually blows west to east.

[revmommy]

thanks so much for all of your feedback. Seems to me most anything would be better than metro Detroit, but my husband says he doesn't want the job he was offered after all. It's not a Billings thing though - it's a job description thing. But thanks for all of your responses. My father in law was there about 8 years ago and noticed the smell, but that might be because he is a civill engineer and notices things like that. I am SOmeone commented about Lewiston Idaho - another place we might be able to move to some day. Is it bad there? Hope all is well in Bilings. For now, Detroit seems to be off the national headlines - but I'm sure we'll be back. Wishing you all a peaceful THanksgiving.

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by revmommy

and noticed the smell........commented about Lewiston Idaho - another place we might be able to move to some day.

Your father-in-law would probably notice the smell in Lewiston too.

[sky1949]

Lewiston ID can positively stink when the pulp mill is in action.