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Brooklyn 'rotting carcass' odour unlawful

 by Ben Cameron


A Brooklyn meat rendering company that caused a ‘rotting carcass’ smell so bad it stopped nearby residents from inviting visitors to their homes was found guilty in court on Tuesday.

Australian Tallow Producers was found guilty of three counts of air pollution offences in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court following an Environment Protection Authority Victoria investigation.

The company was found to have breached the Environment Protection Act 1970 after it polluted the atmosphere with odours offensive to humans on three separate occasions in June 2011 and September 2011.

ATP operates a rendering facility and manufactures tallow from mixed abattoir material on Geelong Road, Brooklyn.

On 22 June 2011, EPA received 13 complaints from nearby residents complaining about offensive odours coming from the site.

Complainants described the odour as a “smell like sewerage, like rotting carcass…”, a “very, very strong putrid dead animal smell…’’ which made one complainant say they felt like throwing up.

Another resident said they “had to lock all the doors and windows and could not have any fresh air in the house”.

The EPA received similar complaints the following day, and on September 21.

An EPA officer, who visited the area on 22 June 2011, reported a strong offensive odour comprising of a mixture of ‘manure, blood, bone and tallow’ coming from ATP’s premises.

Further visits by EPA officers on June 23, 2011 and September 21, 2011 confirmed the stench, with one officer reporting they “felt close to vomiting”.

The company will be sentenced on December 21, 2015.

EPA Chief Executive Officer, Nial Finegan said the EPA called on 11 witnesses, two expert witnesses and nine environment protection officers to give sworn evidence.

“The outcome is a win for the Brooklyn community who have had to put up with localised pollution issues for too long,” he said.

“No community should have to live with an odour so horrid that they can’t even have guests over, constantly feel nauseous and are forced to close their windows.”

The EPA had also issued ATP four pollution abatement notices since 2011 and were fined more than $7000 over an odour incident in 2013.

The Industrial Evolution of Resourses

Shell Canada fined C$825,000 for 2013 refinery odour leak

Shell's company logo is pictured at a gas station in Zurich April 8, 2015. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) -


The Ontario government on Tuesday ordered Shell Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell , to pay C$825,000 (£546,727) in fines for discharging a contaminating odour from its Sarnia refinery in 2013.

In a statement, the Ontario Ministry for Environment and Climate Change said Shell had pleaded guilty to one offence of permitting a discharge of an odour containing mercaptan, a foul-smelling gas.

The Shell Sarnia Manufacturing Centre is located in Corunna, Ontario, and on Jan. 11, 2013, employees discovered a leak from a line containing mercaptan, which flowed into an on-site ditch that empties into the refinery's storm sewer system.

The odour affected a number of people in the nearby Aamjiwnaang First Nation, with several complaining of sore eyes and throats, headaches, nausea and vomiting.

Shell was fined C$500,000 for the offence, plus a victim surcharge of C$125,000 and ordered to donate C$200,000 to the Aamjiwnaang First Nation.

(Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic

In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic

Did you know that you actually smell with your brain, not your nose? The sense of smell is the first of all our senses to develop. Even before we are born, our sense of smell is fully formed and functioning.

GREENWICH-MOHAWK REMEDIATION: Odour woes halt excavation work

Excavation work has been halted in a concentrated area of the Greenwich-Mohawk brownfield remediation site after intense odours were generated over the past two days.

The city announced Wednesday that cleanup work at the north end of the site at 347 Greenwich St. was stopped due to smells emanating from a heavy concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons. The odour had been magnified due to unseasonably mild temperatures combined with humidity and dense fog overnight Tuesday, according to a media release from the city.

On Wednesday morning, two large hand-painted signs on plywood were spotted propped up near the brownfield site, bemoaning the ongoing odour resulting from remediation work.

Red painted letters on one read: "How sick R we of the smell," while a second read: "Please stop. Fumes R making us sick."

The bad smells, which vary in description from heavy oil or asphalt to electrical or burning smells to a chemical stink, first became an issue in July. The stench results from excavation work in an area heavily contaminated by oil or petroleum hydrocarbons over many decades by industries long gone.

Residents in the Eagle Place and Echo Place neighbourhoods have complained about smells permeating their homes and of being unable to enjoy their properties as well as suffering from headaches and sore throats.

One Mohawk Street resident, who preferred her name not be used, said the recent worsening of the odour became "super strong" on Tuesday night.

"I got up this morning and I could still smell it in my garage," she said Wednesday morning.

"People are really tired of it," she said.

The resident said the city has done a good job of keeping neighbours informed and she understands that "before things get better they'll have to get worse."

On Wednesday, the city announced it was taking action to decrease the impact on area residents.

Excavation activities on the concentrated area were halted until further notice. And as of late Tuesday efforts have been focused on odour management and excavation on other areas of the site, further from neighbourhood properties.

The city said that an additional vacuum truck will remain on site and be dedicated to oil skimming operations.

As well, additional daily applications of odour suppressing foam will be used on problem surfaces, including stockpiles and excavation slopes.

The city also announced that it will reassess the work program to ensure that heavily concentrated areas are excavated at a future date when warm temperatures do not worsen odours.

Ministry of Environment representatives visited the site on Oct. 29 in response to odour complaints caused by high winds and a large volume of rain that fell on Oct. 28, said city spokesperson Maria Visocchi.

Officials confirmed that air quality levels remain consistent with ministry standards and all volatile organic compounds data collected to date is within ministry guidelines, she said.

Daily air monitoring is scheduled to continue through November.

As of Nov. 1, 83,000 cubic metres of soil had been treated either through bioremediation or a coarse material wash treatment, according to the city. In addition more than 100,000 litres of oil has been skimmed from the excavation water and recycled.

Last week, area residents also were notified via a letter in their mailboxes of work being done in the northeastern portion of 22 Mohawk St. involving the removal of a small area of xylene-impacted material. Xylene is a solvent found in petroleum, gasoline, coal and wood tar.

The material was taken to 66 Mohawk St. to be treated. That work was estimated to last two to three days and may have resulted in a "magic marker" smell to the air, according to the city.

Additional monitoring of air quality levels was conducted during that work and it was possible that workers in the immediate excavation area would be required to wear respirators, stated the letter to residents. Air monitoring indicated that no applicable ministry standards were exceeded, the city said.

Odour issues have been a concern since July, but smells became overpowering in September when workers hit a heavily contaminated oil pocket at 347 Greenwich St. The oil was nearly a quarter-inch thick. Excavation work was then temporarily stopped and workers concentrated on cleaning efforts and odour control.

The Greenwich-Mohawk site was once home to come of the city's biggest and best-known factories, including Massey, Cockshutt and Sternson. The site was heavily contaminated and the city is conducting a massive cleanup operation.

Remediation is expected to continue to the end of March but if more work is needed, it may continue to the end of December 2016.

Charlton residents rally over abattoir odour, disease fears

Andrew Backhouse | 30th Oct 2015 5:00 AM 



A GROUP of residents with concerns about a proposed meat processing facility on the outskirts of Toowoomba is holding a community meeting tonight. FKG Group is planning to build an $80 million abattoir in the Witmack Industrial Park about 10km west of Toowoomba. A development application is before Toowoomba Regional Council. The public notification stage ended on September 22. Speaking on behalf of residents, Chrissie Bach said in their view the development did not belong in its proposed location, which is zoned for medium impact. She said neighbours of the proposed facility were worried about offensive odours and the impact they would have on future development in the Charlton precinct. Ms Bach also raised concerns about alleged health risks. Toowoomba union delegate Chris McGaw and Oakey veterinarian David Pascoe have publicly raised noise, odour and planning concerns about the project. FKG Group manager of property development Dallas Hunter has defended the project saying the state-of-the-art design would ensure that the facility would have little to no impact on nearby residents. "It's just as important for us and our neighbours that we have a low-impact or nil-impact plant and that's what we're designing," he said.


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Egg farm odour will hit residents of West Belconnen, says Parkwood owner

Parkwood Eggs in Belconnen is worried the smell from its laying sheds will affect residents of a planned new suburb. Parkwood Eggs in Belconnen is worried the smell from its laying sheds will affect residents of a planned new suburb. Photo: Jeffrey Chan The owner of Parkwood Eggs has slammed the West Belconnen housing development as way too close for comfort, indicating that much of the proposed new housing will be affected by smell from the barn egg farm. Pace Farm chief executive Paul Pace says the business will probably be forced out of Canberra when its lease expires if the new suburb goes ahead, with the loss of 65 primary production jobs. He described the proposed clear zone of 750 metres around the Parkwood Egg farm as completely inadequate. But the company's claims were rejected on Friday by the Land Development Agency, whose deputy chief executive, Ben Ponton, said there would be no smell for residents outside the 750-metre buffer and when development began inside the buffer the egg farm lease would be cancelled. Planning Minister Mick Gentleman has approved a territory plan change to pave the way for the housing development, which will have 11,500 homes, spilling over the border into NSW. The development has sparked concerns about the impact on the adjacent Ginninderra Falls area. Mr Gentleman approved the Territory Plan variation without referring it to the ACT Parliament's planning committee, a decision described as disappointing by Liberal planning spokesman Alistair Coe. The West Belconnen development area, earmarked for 6500 homes. Parkwood is in the top right of the development area, near the border with NSW and in part of the zone coloured pink. The West Belconnen development area, earmarked for 6500 homes. Parkwood is in the top right of the development area, near the border with NSW and in part of the zone coloured pink. Photo: Supplied "What is the purpose of having a planning committee if it is not to consider massive housing estates?" Mr Coe said. Pace Farm commissioned a report from Katestone Environmental, which concluded the government's report had significantly underestimated the odour emissions from the egg farm – and could be out by a factor of more than seven. A clearance zone of between three and four kilometres was necessary to meet NSW odour guidelines and reduce the impact on residents to an acceptable level, Pace Farm said. In NSW, a developer would be required to carry out high-level modelling, especially when the plan was to rezone land "to permit some 30,000 people to reside in the vicinity of the largest poultry farm in the region", it said. Pace has seven sheds with 189,000 chickens, but permission for as many as 10 sheds, housing 270,000 chickens. The Katestone report said the government-commissioned odour report had assumed an odour emission rate of 4 OU ("odour units") per minute per bird, but that significantly underestimated the emissions from layer chicken farms, which could be up to 7.6 times higher. And while the government report had used a Victorian guideline of 7 OU in the absence of a Canberra limit, it would have been more logical to use the NSW limit of 2 OU. Whichever limit was used, both were exceeded at distances greater than 750 metres from the Parkwood farm in all directions except the north to north-east, Katestone said. To meet the NSW odour figure, the buffer should be three to four kilometres from the farm. To meet the Victorian figure, the buffer should be 2.5 to three kilometres. Mr Pace said Pace had recently switched from cage to barn eggs at the ACT farm, which also housed one of the company's three grading and packing centres nationwide. The Parkwood lease runs for another 18 years and Mr Pace said he had expected the business to remain on site for as many as 50 years, but his discussions with the government suggested the lease was highly unlikely to be renewed because the farm was incompatible with residential development. Mr Ponton confirmed that Parkwood's lease would not be renewed at the end of 18 years, and might be resumed earlier if the housing development went more quickly than anticipated. Parkwood was "absolutely" aware of that. "Parkwood Eggs know and has done for some time that the land is required for development in the next 20 years," Mr Ponton said. "They know what the rules of engagement are." The government rejected Parkwood's analysis, he said. The current Crown lease specified an exclusion zone of just 500 metres. The government-commissioned report had recommended 600 metres. And the decision to impose a 750-metre zone had been based on best-practice South Australian guidelines. ​Pace's concerns were set out in a submission to the Territory Plan change, but the government said an independent site auditor had endorsed the approach, it said. Riverview plans to sell the first property off the plan in June 2016, with residents living in the new suburb in the third quarter of 2017.

The Benefits of Clean Water

The benefits of clean water and having plenty of safe water to drink are well known. Most of us have experienced the feeling of not getting enough water; when we feel sluggish and light-headed from being dehydrated.

Many common health problems can be avoided by all of us if we simply drink more water.

Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water helps to flush out wastes from our bodies.

Water is a transport medium for the nutrients our bodies need.

Body temperature (perspiration) is regulated by the amount of available water in our bodies.

Water also regulates the pH balance and supports a multitude of physiological processes.

Being well hydrated elevates our energy levels and can help alleviate headaches.

Severe dehydration causes a multitude of health problems, not the least of which are fatigue, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, weakness, and loss of energy.

But some people have plenty of water to drink. Take the rain forest, for instance. Water is everywhere, but people still suffer from a lack of safe, clean water. The water they find to drink is often unsafe for them to consume. See "Water-borne Diseases"

So what they need is not just any water, but they need to experience the benefits of clean water! Clean, clear and safe water.

So, what do we mean when we use the term "clean water"? In the context of this website, we are referring to water that is safe for human consumption. “Safe” water is also a good definition. Safe water must be free from disease-causing pathogens. But water that is free of pathogens may still be clouded by sediment.

Water that is fit for human consumption must be clean and clear. It must be water that does not have offensive odor or color, making it undesirable and unpalatable, and deterring people from drinking it. It must be desirable to drink it and people must have confidence that they can give it to their family with certainty that they are giving them water that is fresh, clean, clear, healthy and safe.

Access to safe, clean water opens up a world of possibilities for community development. Without water, the most basic element of life, all other development efforts will hit a brick wall.

Sanitation and hygiene, working together with a source of clean water create lasting community health and sustained human growth and development.

Just the simple act of washing hands with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrheal disease. When coupled with the use of adequate sanitation facilities and a dependable source of clean water, the multiplied effects are even greater.

As a child, disease from lack of water, sanitation and hygiene carries over into the schoolhouse. A child’s education is affected by an increase in absenteeism, decrease in cognitive potential, and increased attention deficits. Young girls often stop going to school if the school lacks adequate sanitation facilities.

With the benefits of clean water, adequate sanitation, and good hygiene in place, educated individuals grow up to be enterprising adults, who become the owners of businesses, as well as corporate, community and national leaders.

From the early years of life, throughout childhood and into adulthood, water is the common beneficial factor determining the quality of life and the possibilities of the future.

YES, CLEAN WATER IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

Http://anotec.com.au 

EKOSyme for use in ponds

Organic based technology providing a non toxic alternative to treating ponds polluted with waste. This formulation is a proprietary Nano array of nutrients, enzymes, bacteria, biosurfactants and bio oxygen catalysts. By treating the area with the EKOsyme , BOD will be reduced by increased oxidation. Allowing for odours to be reduced and the water used in agriculture. Usage through various application methods including our proprietary mechanisms, rule of thumb 10 litres of our EKOSyme solution to 60,000 L of pond volume. For best and immediate results it is best to use our proprietary application system and applied according to our recommendation this will result in immediate (over a 24 hr. period) BOD reduction result. For continual treatment is suggested

Can Exercise Really Make You A Better Leader?

What does building your body have to do with building organizations and people? After cultivating a life-long passion and habit for a fitness regimen as well as an always on, “watch-what-you-eat” discipline, let me give you my personal opinion in one word: Everything. Here’s the deal. You can get the science-backed detail and the case for exercise anywhere on the internet. Launch into a Google search for “why should I exercise” and see all of this. Instead, let me outline some of the reasons why being fit will make you a better leader. As an advisor helping top executives solve strategic growth challenges in their businesses and teams, I often find myself reminding leadership of the importance of personal and professional growth as a significant precursor to organization growth. In other words, people growth drives business growth – not the reverse. There is a ripple effect that personal growth has on the engagement, confidence and ambition that employees bring to their work. Leadership is the spark to ALL of it. If it’s not happening, recognized or talked about in your workplace, it’s on you. A big piece of the puzzle in driving folks to own their personal development is encouraging an exchange of bad habits for good. Exercise is an easy win. If you’re driven to make a mark in leadership, here’s my case for why being fit will not only elevate your impact but fundamentally change the trajectory of growth for the people whom you lead: It Creates Energy and Stamina. Counterintuitively, you need to use energy to get more of it. This is why a person who sleeps a lot can still complain of being tired. After years of developing an afternoon exercise habit, I still find myself exercising at the end of the day. I can feel tired enough at the end of the day to go right to sleep; however, after exercising, find it hard to get to sleep. Exercise creates energy. It makes a huge difference when you’re leading people and families, doesn’t it? It Fuels Focus. In a world brimming with distraction and demands at every turn, there are very few activities left that allow a complete disconnect. Exercise removes your mind from the screens, calls, and multi-tasking. Quite amazingly, you’ll find your thoughts and focus during exercise settling on the most important priorities in your life. This has happened to me countless times – when I start an exercise session, it’s not uncommon to have a mind racing with lots of to-do’s, tasks, worries, etc, only to see all of that whittled down to virtually nothing 30-45 minutes later. Following exercise, I have a mind clear and focused, ready for action. It Drives Confidence. most effective and influential leaders exude confidence. If we’re not confident in ourselves, it’s impossible to express or have confidence in others. Being fit builds self-confidence and self-esteem. Leaders with low self-esteem can bring a defensive posture, a failure to recognize others or encourage mistakes, as well as a curt tone that discourages idea sharing into the workplace, unknowingly stifling the growth of others. As exercise begins to have positive change on our bodies, it shows up in the mirror and through compliments from those around you. As you start to feel better about yourself, confidence shows up at home and in the office. And so does a different attitude. This changes everything. It Unlocks Influence. Exercise releases key hormones in your brain that reduce stress and anxiety. We all have become accustomed to heavy bouts of daily stress which impact us personally, but more critically, the people around us. As leaders, unmanaged stress can have adverse affect on our relational skills with people, detracting from our influence. An exercise session can quickly deflate heavy stress, leaving you calm, cool and collected to be at your influential-best with people who matter. It’s Contagious. People who have successfully transformed their physical and emotional shape are admired, as it requires fortitude, discipline and perseverance. The achievement alone can inspire others, but more importantly, it establishes an example for personal growth that others will aspire-to or want to follow. As more people around you begin to latch onto a movement for better health, the accountability to a ‘new normal’ grows larger on the culture as a whole. It’s a Spark to Creativity. Hands-down, my very best thinking and idea time happens while exercising. As mentioned above, exercise has an incredible releasing effect, helping us to de-stress and prioritize in our lives. This calming and clearing-effect opens our minds and hearts to possibility-thinking which is a spark to creative ideas. Imagine an entire workforce engaged in this mode of thinking! It Triggers the Right Habits. When hard work pays off, it’s rewarding. Exercise is no different. If you’re looking for a starting point to big change, exercise is it. Building lean muscle mass and cardiovascular health is the sustainable path to long-term health. As you begin to feel physically and emotionally transformed, the positive results hardwire exercise as a habit. Generally speaking, we all want more of a good thing, right? Exercise is a spark to other healthy habits; most commonly, better nutrition and eating habits. Subconsciously, the more we exercise and improve our health, the less we want to do anything to damage the strong body we are building. Very rarely do you see a person leaving a gym lighting a cigarette? Could it be that a good habit can replace a bad habit? It’s Not About Us. Our bodies were designed for activity. This is why they hurt, get sick, or are rendered immobile if we aren’t active enough. You and I have been given only one body for the life and time we have here on earth. You’ve also been called to be a leader over your organization and your family. There are people everywhere who need you to lead them. And that means you need to be here so you can lead them. So, in the end, fitness is not really about us. And…neither is leadership. If you’re already into being fit, you’re certainly enjoying the benefits that I mention above. If you’re not, what’s keeping you from getting started? How valuable would it be to you to start a fitness program tomorrow? Most importantly, what kind of leader might you become to the people in you’re life who matter most, at the office and at home? You’ve been called. They need you. To be here. Now – go be fit! You’ll be glad you did. And so will they.