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Q: Are odors an air pollution problem?
A: Odors are a concern for residents and a frequent source of citizen complaints to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (Spokane Clean Air). Odors come from a variety of operations, such as animal rendering, asphalt plants, spray paint operations, wastewater treatment plants, coffee roasting, just to name a few. Odor is a sensitive topic because each person perceives odors differently. What smells bad to one person may not offend another. Individual sensitivities and reactions to odors are influenced by personal preferences, opinions, experiences, and the varying senses of our olfactory systems.
Q: How are odors regulated?
A: Spokane Clean Air is responsible for enforcing Washington’s odor regulation, which states "Any person who shall cause or allow the generation of any odor from any source which may unreasonably interfere with any other property owner’s use and enjoyment of his/her property must use recognized good practices and procedures to reduce these odors to a minimum." The intent of the law is not to eliminate odors, this is impossible in most instances, but rather to reduce odors to a minimum.
Q: Odors can be a nuisance, but are they a public health hazard?
A: Odors are a complex mixture of gases, vapors, and dust. It is possible for certain odorous emissions to have an impact on physical health. The potential impact of any odor depends upon the concentration of odorous emissions, and the frequency and duration of exposure. The most frequently reported symptoms attributed to odors include headache, nausea, hoarseness, cough, congestion, palpitations, shortness of breath, eye, nose, throat irritation.
Q: How do I file an odor/nuisance complaint?
A: Contact Spokane Clean Air as soon as possible.
Complaints can be called in to the agency at (509) 477-4727, or registered online: "contact us."
You will be asked to provide personal information, such as your name, address, and phone number. Your call may be answered by voicemail recording if you call during non-business hours. In addition to your name, address, and telephone number, plan on providing:
-your location, date and time when the odor was first detected;
-odor characteristics (what does it smell like? what is the intensity or strenght of the odor);
-suspected source of the odor;
-esimate of wind speed and direction (e.g. light winds blowing from the southwest);
-duration of the odor (e.g. it started at 8 a.m. and ended at 9 am); and during this time, was the odor constant or intermittant?
Q: How does Spokane Clean Air respond to odor complaints?
A: Spokane Clean Air has procedures in place to ensure that complaints are handled in a responsive, timely manner. Once a complaint is received, it is recorded into a database, then assigned to a field inspector for follow-up. Because odors can be fleeting, in many instances the odor is gone before the inspector arrives. In many cases when the offending party is informed about the odor complaint(s) and odor regulation, they are willing to fix the problem immediately, if a problem is found.
Q: When is Enforcement Action Taken?
A: The inspector will review three key criteria before issuing a Notice of Violation (NOV) for an odor-related problem:
-Have we received one or more previous complaints about this source/facility/operation?
-Has an inspector detected and documented off-site odors; and
-Are these documented off-site odors associated with the failure by the source/facility/operator to employ recognized "good practices and procedures" to reduce odors to a minimum.
If the inspector finds that the source is in compliance with all applicable air pollution requirements, he/she will document the inspection findings and the agency will usually take no further action. If the sources is found in violation, the inspector may issue an NOV. The issuance of an NOV is typically followed by an assessment of a civil penalty (fine) which for odors, start at $300.
If you have further questions, please call us at 477-4727 or email publicinfo@spokanecleanair.org
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