PENRITH PONG FIRM HITS BACK OVER COMPLAINTS

Executives at the firm blamed for the Penrith pong have spoken out amid threats of legal action against them.

The Alba Proteins factory

A no-win no-fee solicitors’ firm has spoken to various residents in the Castletown area about the possibility of litigation against the Alba Proteins animal byproduct processing plant in Wildriggs.

This follows an increase in the number of complaints about the smell this year.

Eden Council received about 400 complaints about the problem between May and September – a figure disputed by the firm.

An Alba spokesman added the company firm was going above and beyond its duty to prevent the foul smell troubling nearby residents.

The spokesman said: “Over the last decade we have invested heavily in new processes and equipment to minimise odours originating from our site and, as a leader in the animal byproduct industry, the site is operating within the parameters required by the licenses and regulations that govern it.

“While we must stress not every issue of odour is attributable to us, which Eden Council has verified, we invite the public to check this with the authority for themselves.

“We categorically dispute the figures quoted and will be challenging these.

“We take all smell complaints extremely seriously and meet regularly with both Eden Council and a residents’ liaison group to keep them informed of our on-goingprogress.”

He added: “A recent example of our efforts – which go far beyond what is required by law – is the upgrading and installation of new bio-filters, these are designed to contain and neutralise odours efficiently and effectively.”

Cardiff-based solicitors Hugh James have been speaking to local people about the possibility of launching legal action.

First published at 11:36, Monday, 19 October 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Big stink as tannery seeks to operate for further 35 years

By DAVID WILLIAMS - The Press

Last updated 05:00 20/10/2009

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Christchurch

Crash survivor still wants to flyScheduled surgery still not approvedPolice link crime to gang membership'Damaging' sport increasingly popularTower Junction 'inferno' causes costly damagePanel unmoved by public's ideas on Hack CircleOffer from Ellis fails to move ministerCanterbury dirty sites releaseDecision on irrigation scheme within weeks10pc gain in house prices

Residents are battling a Christchurch tannery's bid to renew its consent to discharge contaminants into the air.

Lowe Corporation seeks a 35-year consent for the continued operation of a coal-fired boiler, which uses a 26-metre-high chimney in Station Rd, Belfast, and for odour emissions.

The company said at a hearing in Christchurch yesterday that it had made substantial improvements since gaining its last consent. A biofilter now treated gases from processing drums and the business no longer operated as a sheepskin fellmongery.

Four substantiated odour complaints have been made over the past decade, but Environment Canterbury officers found the smell was not offensive beyond the property's boundary.

Lawyer Sarah Day told commissioner Barry Loe and regional councillor Rik Tindall that "substantial capital" had been invested to meet environmental standards.

"It's unfortunate that an industry that has been operating in Belfast for so many years has to battle with such opposition whenever it comes time for renewal of consent to continue with its activities," she said.

In his submission, Belfast School principal Peter Simpson said there had not been enough time for the community to be fully consulted on the effects.

The Northwood Residents Association was strongly opposed.

"We see the continued discharge of foul air into the atmosphere as detrimental to the living conditions and amenity of our residents," its submission said.

The hearing will end today.

Big stink as tannery seeks to operate for further 35 years

Corporation seeks a 35-year consent for the continued operation of a coal-fired boiler, which uses a 26-metre-high chimney in Station Rd, Belfast, and for odour emissions.Residents are battling a Christchurch tannery's bid to renew its consent to discharge contaminants into the air.

The company said at a hearing in Christchurch yesterday that it had made substantial improvements since gaining its last consent. A biofilter now treated gases from processing drums and the business no longer operated as a sheepskin fellmongery.

Four substantiated odour complaints have been made over the past decade, but Environment Canterbury officers found the smell was not offensive beyond the property's boundary.

Lawyer Sarah Day told commissioner Barry Loe and regional councillor Rik Tindall that "substantial capital" had been invested to meet environmental standards.

"It's unfortunate that an industry that has been operating in Belfast for so many years has to battle with such opposition whenever it comes time for renewal of consent to continue with its activities," she said.

In his submission, Belfast School principal Peter Simpson said there had not been enough time for the community to be fully consulted on the effects.

The Northwood Residents Association was strongly opposed.

"We see the continued discharge of foul air into the atmosphere as detrimental to the living conditions and amenity of our residents," its submission said.

The hearing will end today.

odour control is locate the problem then use the appropriate solution

Full Service Odour Control Program to help odour control of wastewater collection and treatment facilities.

 Full Service Odour Control Program treating each case based on assessing and collecting data at the site before suggesting one or more odour control products.

Full Service Odour Control Program uses a range of odour phasing control systems.

The science of Breaking Bad: Down Breaking Bad : Season 2 : Episode 4: “Down”

Jesse reaches the end of his tether.

As Walt’s attempts to regain his family fail to cut the mustard, Jesse loses all and ends up blue. In this post, I’ll be talking about chemical toilets.
You can read more about this episode at AMC, IMDb and the A.V. Club.

Amphetamine

Jesse’s address comes out in the meeting with his parents’ lawyer, but (at least according to Google Maps) Margo Road ends in the 2400s. His father also mistakenly identifies him as a “speed” manufacturer – speed is another name foramphetamine, which is similar to the methamphetamine he has been manufacturing but different enough for his to technically deny it without lying.
Chemical toilets
Kicked out of his house, let down by his friends and relieved of all his worldly possessions, things simply cannot get any worse for Jesse. Until he manages to fall into a chemical toilet, that is. The bright blue liquid that everyone remarks upon is probably Anotec blue, a deodorising additive commonly used in portable units. It could have been worse, though – older toilets used chemicals like formaldehyde (H₂CO) and glutaraldehyde (OC(CH₂)₃CO) to disinfect wastes, but modern ones use less-harmful nitrates to speed up the natural breakdown processes and remove faecal odours (the chemical odour is another matter – it’s there to cover up any natural odours that get slip out). One of Anotec’s mottoes is “We stick our nose in your business.”

Skatole

Human (and animal) faeces contain digested and undigested food, and the distinctive smell is due to the by-products of bacterial action in the gut. The principal culprits are indole, skatole (named from the Greek skato-, meaning “dung”) and sulfur-containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S; this is also responsible for the smell of rotten eggs). Methane, contrary to popular belief, is odourless.

Sewage plant doesn't pass the smell test Residents of Cattail Creek community hope county health board will help clear the air

The strong smell of human feces that residents of the upscale Villas of Cattail Creek say sporadically seeps out of their new community sewage treatment plant is just the latest indignity after the nearly five years without a working sewage system that preceded it.

"It's just never-ending," said Renee Parcover, one of the 55-and-older residents of what was intended to be an idyllic group of 93 retirement homes next to a country club and golf course in bucolic western Howard County.

"It smelled like a sewer," on Sept. 24, Sue Ann Folks told the county's Board of Health on Tuesday night, during a 4 1/2 -hour hearing on whether the smell is a nuisance worthy of a daily fine. A four-year resident, Folks said she and her husband have not built a deck or patio at their house because of the "really strong odor." The hearing is to continue Wednesday.

The developer, represented by attorney Alexander E. Adams, has simultaneously argued that the odor is minimal and not abnormal, and that the developers, represented by managing partner J. Thomas Scrivener, are trying to eliminate it.

Since the 58-acre site is far beyond the reach of public water and sewer pipes, the developers got a state permit and built a small shared sewage treatment system for the 25 detached homes and 68 townhouses. But that plant never worked, requiring up to five trucks a day to pump sewage out of a tank and haul it away until a new plant was built last fall.

The new facility consists of a small brick building, gray tank and large white pipe, all of which sits behind a bright white plastic fence and a row of pine trees at the end of Player's Way, a street of smartly designed and decorated homes.

All seemed better this year until warm weather hit in June, residents say, when the unpredictable episodes of repulsive odors began seeping from the plant.

Officials: Odor-control measure at plant works

The smell inside Port Huron's sewage treatment plant is suffocating.
A mix of ammonia and rotten eggs, that odor used to be discharged into downtown Port Huron unfiltered, but a scrubbing system installed in 2004 at a cost of $10.2 million eliminated much of the stink and made the situation the best it can be, officials said.
Instead of being released outside the plant, which is on the St. Clair River near the Black River, the foul-smelling air is now piped into an odor control room, where it literally is bleached.
"The point is, the most offense odors are under control," City Engineer Bob Clegg said.
Sometimes, he said, the smell does flare up, but that is because doors are opened for maintenance or cleaning or they are released when trucks haul away the "solids" to area farms.
The smell is fresh on the minds of Port Huron residents now that the City Council has approved spending $660,000 to buy the vacant 3 ½-acre piece of land next to the plant. It is land City Manager Bruce Brown and other city leaders want to sell to a developer for a private residence or hotel.
John Mrozek, the environmental quality technician at the plant, said there is no doubt the scrubbing system works.
"There has been a huge reduction," he said.
The only part of the plant without odor-control mechanisms is the secondary processing area.
But Clegg said that area does not produce a smell that is offensive.
Smells from the secondary plant are similar to a damp basement. Other parts smell more natural, "like a river," Clegg said -- only more condensed.
Clegg said the city can spend about $1 million to put in odor controls there. He said the question is whether City Council wants to put up that money to guard against those smells.
Brown, the city manager, has no intention of doing that as he tries to market the property.
Instead, he plans to introduce to the City Council a plan to eliminate the smells that come from the loading of the solids into trucks.
He said that operation happens outside, and he hopes to make it an indoor operation like the rest of the facility.
Brown said he is unsure at this time what that project will cost.
"I would sure recommend that we do that," Brown aid. "It shouldn't be too big of an expense."
Brown said the odor people most smell stems from the secondary process.
He added: "It is not enough to prevent private development."

Plants improve overall environment at farms

Recent studies at Penn State University have demonstrated that the use of vegetative buffers – single or multiple rows of shrubs and trees – can significantly reduce odours, dust and other factors impacting the immediate environment around poultry farms, according to the Poultry Science Association (PSA).

Dr. Paul Patterson, a professor at Penn State’s Dept. of Poultry Science, has been a leader in the effort to quantify the degree to which different types of vegetative buffers can help address a number of “nuisance” factors that are a natural part of the poultry grow-out process, while at the same time improving farm aesthetics.

“Investing in foliage and landscaping around poultry farms can pay multiple environmental dividends to growers,” said Patterson. “Certainly they can help beautify the landscape by providing a visual barrier for operations, so neighbours don’t have to be constantly exposed to routine activities like feed deliveries and the loading and unloading of birds. But at least equally important, vegetative buffers can also help address a number of issues relating to poultry farm operations that nearby residents, particularly those new to the rural areas where poultry farms tend to be located, sometimes complain about – and which some state legislatures have begun demanding that growers address.”

PSA President Dr. Sally Noll: “Prof. Patterson’s work has broken new ground in demonstrating the variety and effectiveness of vegetative buffers as tools to help meet some of the challenges now facing the poultry industry when producing poultry in more populated areas.”

Dust

In research at a Penn State hen farm, Patterson’s team measured a 67% reduction in total levels of particulate matter (PM) at a distance of 20 ft downwind from a 5-row vegetative buffer, with important differences in the types of plant species used. Particulate matter at 2.5 microns and 10 microns (PM2.5 and PM10, respectively) are EPA regulated emissions.

The team observed differences in the species of foliage used, with willow capturing more of the fine PM2.5 and less of the intermediate sized PM10 than juniper vegetation. Associated research showed that spruce and hybrid willow are effective traps for dust and its associated odours.

Odour

In Pennsylvania, in order to reduce the potential for community conflict, new and expanding poultry and livestock farms are required by the state to develop an odour management plan and submit to an odour site index. Scoring high values on the index require farmers to implement specific, and often costly, Best Management Practices (BMPs) specified by the state. According to PSA, studies by Patterson’s team have shown that appropriate use of vegetative buffers can help reduce odours and associated index scores.

In a September 2008 study, Patterson’s team measured a 46-54% reduction in odour levels as a result of the use of a vegetative buffer comprising 50 fir, juniper, willow, ornamental pear and birch trees, when compared to odours without trees present. The study used a pot-in-pot system that allowed placement and removal of the trees; the odour levels were determined using St. Croix Sensory’s AC’SENT® olfactormetry software.

Ammonia

According to PSA, Patterson has also demonstrated that vegetation can help trap ammonia emissions emanating from poultry houses. The amount of foliage needed to “scrub” emissions will depend on the size and type of facilities. The vegetation used by Patterson in his ammonia studies included Honey locust, Hybrid poplar vegetation, Reed canary grass, and Norway spruce.

Patterson has also shown that vegetative buffers can be effective in reducing Infectious Bronchitis (IBV) transmission, via wind, between birds on the same or different farms.

Other advantages

“In addition to improving farm aesthetics and lowering dust, odour and ammonia levels, shrubs and trees can also help hold down energy costs,” noted Patterson. “Strategically placed, these buffers can act as snow fences, dropping snow in front of the buildings instead of on the roof or around access roads, feed bins, or fans. Other vegetation can be planted to shade the radiant load of summer sun on the buildings to cool the air entering the inlets or curtains. So investment in appropriately selected and sited vegetation around poultry farms really can yield a surprising number of benefits.”

Patterson’s work was funded by grants from the USDA National Resources Conservation Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Odour Management Guidelines.

The latest technical publication from the Water Directorate is the Odour Management Guidelines. A copy of the Guidelines was posted to all General Managers of member councils.

These Guidelines are aimed at providing an overview of the options, techniques and technologies available to sewerage facility operators to mitigate the release of odours from sewerage facilities and the procedures and options available to demonstrate compliance with odour Regulations to Authorities and neighbours of a facility.

The Odour Management Guidelines were developed by MWH Global for the Water Directorate and overseen by the following members of the Sewer Subcommittee:

• Doug Hill, Tamworth Regional Council
• Jeff Sharp, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
• Brian Carter, Singleton Shire Council
• David Tull, Griffith City Council
• Col Maciver, Armidale Dumaresq Council
• John Maxwell, Tumut Shire Council

Additional copies of the Odour Management Guidelines are now available for purchase.

Physical and chemical structure of Australian Merino that make it naturally more odour reducing than other textiles.

There are a number of aspects of the physical and chemical structure of Australian Merino that make it naturally more odour reducing than other textiles.

Moisture transport

While sweat itself has no odour, if it remains on the skin in time bacteria develop and create unpleasant body odours. Merino reduces the opportunity for odours to generate because it is more efficient than other textiles at absorbing sweat and evaporating it into the air.

No microbial attraction

Studies have shown that bacteria are more attracted to the smooth, positively charged surface of a synthetic fibre than the scaly surface of a Merino fibre which carries no charge. (Fig 1)

Moisture absorption

The Merino has a much greater capacity than other fibres to absorb moisture. In fact, it can absorb 35% of its own weight in liquid. The moisture is bound within the structure, and so is not available to microbes, which are unable to penetrate the scaly surface of the fibre.

Fatty acids

The very outer layer of the epicuticle has a high concentration of fatty acids, which are considered to have anti-bacterial properties.

Odour binding

The Merino fibre has a complex internal chemistry that potentially allows it to bind the acidic, basic and sulphurous odours that are components of body odour.

Glass transition

In water and conditions of high humidity, Merino passes through what is termed a glass transition at which point it dramatically increases its rate of absorption and desorption.

Trapping odours

Once past this glass transition, the rate of diffusion of small and large molecules into the fibre increases and it is able to absorb odours faster. When the temperature drops, and the fibre once again falls below the glass transition, the odours are trapped within the structure even if the moisture evaporates. Later, during laundering, the garment again passes through the glass transition point and the odours are carried out of the structure by the water. Synthetics aren’t able to benefit from this same effect because they do not pass through glass transition during normal wear.

Trial preference

In trials, fifteen users were asked to wear socks made from four different textiles and indicate their preference on the basis of odour strength both after wear and after washing. Merino socks were the preferred option in both cases, winning out narrowly over cotton but by significant margins over acrylic and polypropylene. (Fig 2)

Summary

The physical and chemical properties of the Merino fibre makes it naturally reduce odour, which is why in trials users show a preference for socks made of Merino, rather than those made of other textiles.

Sources

• John D. Leeder, 1984, Wool – Nature’s Wonder Fibre, Ocean Grove, Vic.: Australasian Textile Publishers and J.D. Leeder
• Comfort Advantages of Wool Socks. IWS publication
  Johnson, N.A.G. et al, (2003)
• Wool as a Technical Fibre, in J. Text. Inst., V. 94 Part 3, pp.26-41.

All figures and tables courtesy of CSIRO unless otherwise noted.

Assessment and management of odour from stationary sources in NSW

The Technical Framework - Assessment and Management of Odour from Stationary Sources in NSW provides a policy framework for assessing and managing activities that emit odour and offers guidance on dealing with odour issues to industry, consent authorities, planners, environmental regulators and odour specialists. It outlines:
the legislation that applies to odour assessment and management in NSW
a fair and transparent process for assessing odour impacts from new developments
a system to help protect the environment and community from odour impacts while promoting fair and equitable outcomes for odour-emitting activities
a technical reference document for proponents/developers, planners and regulators.

The framework promotes ongoing environmental improvement and best management practices to prevent or minimise odour impacts. While recognising the changing needs of industry and society, it also promotes sustainable land use planning and management to avoid odours and associated conflicts.

The Framework is accompanied by the Technical Notes: Assessment and Management of Odour from Stationary Sources in NSW, which provides detailed odour assessment procedures.

The documents were developed by the DEC, with input from the Department of Primary Industries, the Department of Planning and the Intensive Agriculture Consultative Committee. These final documents replace the draft odour policy published in 2001.

The Technical Framework and supporting Technical Notes are available to download in PDF format.
Download documentsAssessment and Management of Odour from Stationary Sources in NSW:

• Technical Framework: 20060440framework.pdf(requires Acrobat Reader, 260 Kb)
• Technical Notes: 20060441notes.pdf(requires Acrobat Reader, 255 Kb)

Towards Environmental Sustainability

65% of the total Asian human population by 2050 will be urbanised from the current 35%, stressing existing infrastructures, pressurising natural habitats and ecologies. Energy and material consumption will escalate in line with urbanization, increasing greenhouse gasses, continuing environmental pollution, degrading and destroying verdant irreplaceable green belts and their ecosystems. Asia’s immediate needs are too obvious – to balance the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future.

EnviroAsia2009 seeks to champion the marketplace for environmental, ecological and clean technologies across 4 major industry segments – Waste, Water, Energy and Air, to facilitate sustainable development in ASEAN and beyond. The recent changes in global environmental stewardship augurs well – in timing and direction to a more buoyant Asian environmental marketplace where technology stakeholders are able to deploy new technologies to the benefit of societies through partners and government.

“Mobilising and re-focusing the global economy towards investments in clean technologies and ‘natural’ infrastructure such as forests and soils is the best bet for real growth, combating climate change and triggering an employment boom in the 21 st century”
- United Nations Environmental Program, Green Economy Initiative

The Exhibition 

Exhibition Dates: 

1 – 4 December 2009


Venue: 

Suntec Singapore, Level 4


Opening Hours : 

10.30am – 6.00pm

Admission
Admission is restricted to business and trade professionals only. General public and minors aged 16 and below will not be allowed admission.
To register for a visitor badge to visit the exhibition, you can do so online before show days or at Suntec Singapore level 4 on show days (1 – 4 Dec 2009) with your business card.
Visitor badge is valid for entry to the exhibition halls of EnviroAsia2009 and CIA2009.
Visitor badges are non-transferable. You may be asked by security personnel to present proof of identification before entry into the exhibition.

Can You Really Smell a Ghost?

Olfactory Paranormal Phenomena

© Beth Brown

Many believers claim that a sure sign a spirit is near is their distinctive aroma. The type of scent a ghost emits can vary depending on the message they want to convey.

Spirits that have a desire to communicate with friends and loved ones may chose to do so in a variety of ways. Everyone has heard stories of a misty form coming to someone in a time of grief or of ghostly voices speaking words of comfort or warning, but have you ever heard of a spiritual message sent by smell?

Science has proven that scent and memory are very tightly connected. Those close to you may wish to let you know they are present without sending you into a panic with the sight of a full-body apparition or making you question your sanity looking for the source of an unseen voice. Using a scent that you are sure to notice or that can instantly trigger a past event is a gentle way for spirits to communicate without causing alarm.

Ghost Odors Come in All Varieties and Can Include:

Floral Scents

The most commonly reported odor associated with spirits is the smell of fresh flowers. Rose, lilac, and jasmine, three distinctly different aromas, are attributed to the ghosts of those who have recently passed. Sometimes a floral scent can be connected to a loved one with a particular fondness for a certain flower instead of someone who just crossed over.

Scents of Everyday Life

Some spirits display very unique scents that were closely connected with them in life. These “connection” scents include cigar or pipe smoke, a special perfume or cologne, brewing coffee, and cooking foods. It is thought that these odors are used specifically by the departed to let loved ones know that they are near in times of joy or pain.

Negative Scents

The odors of mildew, rotten eggs or sulfur, and rotting foods are often reported where unhappy or unfriendly spirits are believed to reside.

Interpreting the Message

If you believe you’ve experienced this phenomena, answer these questions to help yourself better understand what message may be coming to you:

• Is the odor pleasant?
• Is the scent familiar to you?
• Are you experiencing particularly difficult or joyful events in your life?
• Who may want to contact you and why?

Do you really smell something?

One of the mysteries surrounding olfactory paranormal phenomena is that it is often only perceived by one or two people in a room while it goes unnoticed to others. Some researchers have theorized that the odors are not present in the air at all, rather that spirits are directly manipulating the olfactory receptors in the brain to send their message. Obviously, this theory will take further advancement of science to test. Until then, trust your nose.

The copyright of the article Can You Really Smell a Ghost? in Ghosts & Hauntings is owned by Beth Brown. Permission to republish Can You Really Smell a Ghost? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Floral scents are most common.

Read more: http://ghosts-hauntings.suite101.com/article.cfm/can_you_really_smell_a_ghost#ixzz0SxuuCcDo

Waste company faces charges on odour.

OTTAWA-The Quebec Ministry of Environment has charged a waste management company with emitting foul odours while it was composting Ottawa sewage sludge and pulp mill waste at a plant in l'Ange-Gardien near Buckingham.Christian Perron, a spokesman for the Quebec Ministry of Environment, said the province is investigating odour complaints against GSI Environment Inc. under the Quebec Environmental Quality Act. Companies convicted of violating the act face fines of $6,000 to $250,000 for a first offence and up to $1 million for subsequent convictions.The municipality of L'Ange-Gardien had sought an injunction to get GSI to comply with provincial environmental regulations or stop its operations, but halted the proceedings when the company stopped accepting material in 2008.Raymond Côté, who lives downwind and across the street from the plant, said the smell used to be "like a fish-processing plant, but worse." Since the firm's closing the foul odours have diminished, said Côté. GSI, which has its head office in Mississauga, has also been charged with five environmental violations in Lachute and 19 in Saint-Basile-le-Grand in Quebec's Montérégie region.Les Composts du Québec, Inc., a subsidiary of GSI, began operating an indoor composting plant in l'Ange-Gardien in 1996. Calls to GSI were not returned.Nicole Desroches, director of the environmental group the Conseil régionale de l'environnement et du développement durable de l'Outaouais, said lagoons that were used to collect liquid leachate from the compost produced the foul odour. L'Ange-Gardien Mayor Armand Renaud said people complained about odours when the company mixed the material outdoors."If they didn't mix it outside it would get so hot inside that it would catch fire," Renaud said. "People told me that they had tractor trailers filled with sewage sludge coming in from Ottawa and the United States. Neighbours used to complain a lot because the smell was right in their window. A lot of these compost plants are in trouble now because they have odour problems and they are having trouble getting raw material."Renaud said GSI would need the permission of the Ministry of Environment and the town to reopen the plant. Michel Chevalier, Ottawa's manager of waste water and drainage, said Ottawa had a five-year contract with GSI to dispose of 22,000 tonnes a year of sewage sludge in l'Ange-Gardien for $68 a tonne, but the company stopped the service in November 2008."They wanted more money and we negotiated with them, but at one point they pulled the plug and said they weren't going to do it any more," Chevalier said. "GSI said odour was a problem and that was one of the reasons they weren't going to l'Ange-Gardien.Chevalier says most of Ottawa's sewage sludge is now spread on farm fields in Eastern Ontario."Some of it goes to landfills, some is composted at another GSI plant near Sherbrooke but most of it is land applied. They spread it on the fields and it has to be mixed immediately."Gatineau councillor Alain Pilon said Gatineau had been sending some yard waste to the GSI site, but switched to another plant in Moose Creek, Ont., when the l'Ange-Gardien mayor said he didn't want Gatineau's waste.Gatineau has called tenders to compost the city's table scraps and yard waste, possibly at a site on Hawthorne Road in Ottawa or in Moose Creek, Ont., starting in May 2010.
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Locals in uproar over plans to take away Auld Reekie's distinctive smell

ANGRY locals in Edinburgh are up in arms over plans to snuff out their neighbourhood's famous smell.

The distinctive scent of roasted malt from the North British Distillery has hung over the Gorgie area of the capital for more than a century.

But now bosses and green watchdogs are set to banish it to history by building a 100ft "odour control tower" at the site.

Managers at the distillery say they want to improve the environment. But Gorgie residents who have grown up with the malt smell are calling on them to think again.

Security guard Brian Kidd, 29, said: "It's a good smell and it's part of the city. I'd like to see a campaign to save it."

Students Karen Lindsay and Kim Mills, 17, both reckoned the distillery could find better things to do with their cash.

Karen said: "I quite like the smell. A tower would be a real waste of money."

Kim added: "It's nice that the city has its own smell."

Another Gorgie student, Debbie Campbell, 23, said: "If you drive past the biscuit factory up at Sighthill, you would smell biscuits, wouldn't you? So what do they expect from a distillery?" Strategy And local lollipop man John Garden, 61, said he'd miss the smell after more than 25 years in Gorgie. "I find it quite pleasant," he insisted.

But distillery managers were not budging last night.

Company secretary Ian Ford said of the tower: "This is just one part of an overall strategy to reduce our impact on the local environment, as we are a major industrial unit close to the city centre."

Owen Foster of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, who have helped the distillery come up with the towner plan, added: "The planning application is part of ongoing improvement works to control and mitigate odour, which have been the subject of previous and ongoing discussions between the site operators and SEPA."

The North British Distillery supplies raw whisky for famous brands including J&B Rare, Johnnie Walker Black Label and Famous Grouse.

The plant produces 10 bottles of whisky every second and uses 150,000 tons of cerealeach year.Thesitehas 100 staff.

The distillery was set up in 1885 when the Gorgie area was still being built.

Low emisson compound launched for automotive industry

Compounding specialist TechnoCompound of Bad Sobernheim, Germany has expanded its portfolio of TechnoFiber long glass fibre (LGF) reinforced polypropylene LH E-grades with low-odour and low-emission materials targeted at the automotive industry.

LGF reinforced PP compounds are predominantly used by the automotive industry and its secondary suppliers. These are used in applications such as instrument panels, seat components and door modules.

Independently verified, the reduced odour and emission levels of LGF reinforced grades, underwent extensive testing by leading laboratories such as the EDAG Polymer Service, SGS Institut Fresenius and IMAT UVE. This testing confirmed the material’s excellent fogging and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission characteristics. Not only were values for fogging and VOC considerably below the limits set by leading car manufacturers, but the total VOC measurements were also significantly below the prescribed level of 50 µg carbon per gram of tested material. The top ratings of 2.5 and 3.0 in the odour test to VD 270 round off the PP compounds’ outstanding emission-optimised property profile. Conventional PP LGF grades only achieve a rating of 4 to 5.

Produced by a two-step pultrusion process, the TechnoFiber PP LGF HE grades are based on new formulations which have patents pending. The small rod-shaped granules contain 10-60% glass fibre with an initial length of 10 mm. Owing to the special production process, the LGF reinforced PP granules have a very high degree of impregnation. This, together with the excellent flow ability of the new grades, results in uniform distribution of glass fibres – even in thin-walled ribs.

For the processor this results in significant benefits: injection moulding can produce very low stress components and, at the same time, cylinder and melt temperatures can be significantly lower. Injection and clamping forces can be reduced and cooling and cycle times shortened. This optimises the energy used in the process, ultimately making a positive contribution to the energy balance of a car.

Characterised by high impact resistance and an excellent surface, each fibre in the compound is not only surrounded by the polymer matrix but firmly coupled to it chemically.

"The TechnoFiber odour values are excellent and have already led to much positive feedback from automotive manufacturers and secondary suppliers," states Hans-Dieter Voss, Managing Director of TechnoCompound. "The material does not require pre- or post-treatment. Our concept is 'ready-to-use', which offers many advantages to the processor in terms of logistics, reproducibility and quality.”

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