Odors

Cedar Hills Regional Landfill

There are 3 identifiable odors from CHRLF.

• Fugitive landfill gas has an acrid, bitter smell.

• Leachate has a nasty, putrid smell.

• Flared gas has a chemical burning smell.

While CHRLF tests for odors on a daily basis to try to mitigate odiferous events, the only way to totally eliminate them is to put a lid on the entire landfill and we know that is impossible to do.

The safest solution - Close the landfill and put final, sealed covers on all areas, as well as cover the leachate ponds. Even though the landfill will continue to produce landfill gas and leachate for YEARS after it is closed, odors can be better controlled once no further activity is done. The bulk of the odors from the landfill gas comes from the new areas and areas without final cover.

Fugitive Landfill Gas

Landfills produce methane. CHRLF produces LOTS of methane because of the wet weather. And…they leak, emitting methane and toxins into the air.

We know part of what is in the landfill gas from testing that is required by law. The list of 80+ chemicals they report contain highly toxic chemicals.

Methane itself does not smell. However, nearly all the chemicals present in the landfill gas has an odor.

Leachate

The leachate ponds contains hundreds of highly toxic chemicals, collected as the water passes thru the landfill waste. The amount is unknown due to its combined cumulative make up, which makes treating it at the South Renton Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) more toxic than other WWTPs.

Whether the ponds are aerated or not, the odor is the nastiest, nauseating smells coming from CHRLF. As stated earlier, chemicals are part of the odor.

Because the leachate ponds can be very potent, CHRLF enlists the help of an “Odor Boss” to, supposedly, neutralize the odors. This is a machine that sprays chemicals over the ponds. We call it the Febreeze machine. It is usually obvious when they have employed this machine - the odors now have a soapy type odor mingled in with the leachate.

Flares

CHRLF has a migration flare that operates 24/7, burning low quality landfill gas that doesn’t meet BEW’s standards. This flare does not burn hot enough to destroy all the chemicals in the gas.

The large stack flares at CHRLF are used periodically when the BEW plant is down for maintenance. In addition, the BEW plant also flares gas in it’s processing.

All these flares, especially the migration flare emit odors (and chemicals)

Is it the mixture of these chemicals that make up the odor?

This Chemicals Spreadsheet shows a list of chemicals found in both the landfill gas and leachate ponds emissions and their impacts, toxicity and odors.

What is needed.

In order to determine if the air we breathe is safe or not, we need monitoring stations along the CHRL border and surrounding residents/communities to analyze chemicals in the air. The results will determine our next steps.

Cedar Grove Compost

Cedar Grove Compost has a different odor than the landfill odors.

It is more of a “sickly sweet” type odor at times and rotting eggs at others.

Compost

CGC is one of the largest composting facilities in Washington State.

CGC’s operating permit allows it to take up to 250,000 tons of feedstock. This feedstock is supposed to be all compostable material. However, other items have been improperly disposed of as compostable, such as a lawn mower, rubber shoes, plastic and a number of other items.

These items will contaminate the compost produced and may contain microplastics and other pollutants.

Leachate

CGC has several leachate ponds. However, they do not smell as strong or nasty as those at CHRLF.

Nuisance Odors classification

CGC operates under WAC 173-350-040(3) which states they must control air contaminants such as dust and nuisance odors to prevent other contaminants from migrating beyond property boundaries.

Because of the lawsuits, they have tried several times now to have legislation passed that categorizes compost companies as “agricultural” so as to eliminate these “nuisance odor lawsuits” that have plagued them.  What this does is remove the public’s ability to hold them accountable to the PSCAA regulations that state odors must remain within the property boundaries.  If they were granted “agricultural” status, then the public would need to PROVE adverse health impacts from the odor. 

They cannot (or choose not to spend the money to) control the odors and do not want the public to hold them accountable for causing loss of enjoyment to life and property.

Luckily, it has never got to the legislative floor for a vote.  We have no doubt they will continue to pursue this action or some other like it so they can do whatever they want, regardless of the impact to surrounding neighborhoods.

We must be vigilant in watching for these challenges to the law.  When they do arise, public comment is essential in fighting their attempts. 

One of our goals is to make sure the public knows about these efforts and give them the guidance in making their voices heard.