ICMA 2013 Odor Discussions
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EMetrics is an Advanced Odor Management Tool
I joined my odor management clients Bioservice.ca and OlfactoExpert, Inc. at September’s ICMA Annual Conference in Boston. It was a great opportunity to meet and speak with municipal managers throughout North America.
Francois Perron, Yann Contratto, and I manned a booth for two days at the Hynes Convention Center. Visitors to our booth came from throughout the US and Canada. Odors from wastewater treatment plants and pump stations dominated their concerns followed by odors from feedlots and other agricultural operations. In some cases, managers were giving us contact information for facility owners in neighboring communities where odor emissions were crossing town lines. Just as I was concluding that there was predictability among all these concerns, I spoke to a manager from Missouri who had a concern about odors from a wastewater treatment plant and a closed landfill. His story continued with describing an expanding underground burn at the landfill and its potential threat to another closed waste site allegedly containing radioactive materials! Prioritization is important in this case.
Yann Contratto, Francois Perron, and I were able to respond to our visitors’ non-nuclear issues. We all agree that their odor management programs need to identify cost effective techniques and products that solve the problem. EMetrics is a tool developed by OlfactoExpert that provides a more accurate measure of odor concentration. EMetrics gives the project owner the knowledge to locate the specific sources, identify mitigation measures, and select a solution based on effectiveness and costs. Solutions could include mechanical improvements, operational changes, and application of odor neutralizing products.
Visitors to our booth also included representatives from several engineering and consulting firms specializing in wastewater treatment and waste to energy facilities. They recognize that the fear of odors associated with these operations can stop a project in its tracks. EMetrics can actually provide an odor impact study before a facility is built. Using available meteorological data for the proposed site and odor data from a similar operation, EMetrics can map out an odor impact zone. This allows for odor mitigation techniques to be built into the design and facility operations. EMetrics assessments and mapping also provide a great public education tool that addresses odor management before it becomes a problem. These consultants are interested in discussing how EMetrics can support a design team pursuit and provide consultants a competitive procurement edge by acknowledging and addressing odor management concerns up front and reducing community opposition.
Yann, Francois, and I will be following up with our new connections (not so much the nuclear issue) to discuss specific options to address their odor concerns. If you feel your community needs to let in more fresh air or you want to learn more about EMetrics, please don’t hesitate to contact Mary Louise Monahan Enterprises at 413 313 6901 or send me an email at mary@marylouisemonahan.com.