City hears report on West Homewood odor progress

An end to the odor and noise issues in West Homewood is still not in sight, much to the frustration of council members and residents who have been attempting to address the issue for over a year.

At a Jan. 30 meeting, chemical testing firm Volatile Analysis presented results of its work with Dean Foods and Buffalo Rock, whose plants had been identified as likely sources of the odor, to special issues committee members. Katherine Bazemore of Volatile Analysis said both companies detected the chemical compounds causing the odor on their property, though Dean Foods found a smaller concentration than Buffalo Rock.

Bazemore said there are many ways these chemical compounds can escape the facilities, and not all of them have "been managed well." There have been steps taken, including Buffalo Rock sealing a leak and Dean Foods maintaining the right pressure levels, but residents at the meeting said the odor reappeared over the weekend and on Monday, demonstrating that the problem is not yet resolved.

Bazemore and Chris Christenson, also of Volatile Analysis, said the companies need to do more carbon bed filtration, including regular maintenance and replacement of the carbon beds, and have trained "sniff testers" to identify, log and report when odor begins to reappear on the property.

“This is a low tech but very, very useful thing,” Christenson said.

Volatile Analysis has given Dean Foods and Buffalo Rock protocol suggestions for monitoring and following up on odor issues, Bazemore said.

"I have not heard that they have a strong written plan,” Christenson said.

The committee then adjourned for a 40-minute executive session to discuss "pending litigation." When they returned, committee members seemed visibly frustrated that residents reported little change in noise or odor issues over the past several months. City attorney Mike Kendrick told the West Homewood residents present that he would do everything he could to help them.

When Buffalo Rock attorney Dent Morton said that the company had made several efforts to fix noise and odor problems, Ward 3 Representative Walter Jones interrupted to disagree with him.

“It has not been mitigated by any means,” Jones said. “It’s not any better. Period.”

Bazemore asked Morton for immediate access to the Buffalo Rock property to test while odors are present, but Morton said he would have to talk to Buffalo Rock's president first. Last time the smell occurred, Bazemore said it had faded before they received approval to enter the property. Morton agreed to go with the Volatile Analysis representatives after the meeting for their testing on public areas.

After the meeting, Ward 4 Representative Barry Smith said the committee would be taking several steps both to stop the current problem and prevent it from happening in the future.

“We are going to use Volatile [Analysis] to help us put some information together so we have knowledge about other municipalities who have faced these same issues,” Smith said.

She added that this could include regulations for monitoring companies operating in Homewood and to compel them to address problems like this if they won't do it by choice as "good corporate citizens."

“I think none of us would have predicted we would be here a year and a half later,” Smith said. “We’ve got to gather the knowledge and find the facts that will help us get this problem eradicated.”