Richmond asks public to help end organics odour problem

The City of Richmond says it has had enough when it comes to dealing with odour from HarvestPower's composting facility in east Richmond.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie said the city has been dealing with stench from the plant for about a decade.

"It is a strong smell and it is a sour type of smell," said Richmond mayorMalcolmBrodie. "Once you smell it, it's unmistakable."

The facility processes organic waste from around the Lower Mainland, turning it into mulch and compost.

Metro Vancouver recently renewed the company's air quality permit with new measures for odour control. The permit extends the company's operations through April of 2018.

For its part, Harvest Power says it will comply with the new rules and has promised to make investments to reduce the smellcoming from the plant.

But the city is asking the public to make sure Harvest Power keeps its promise.

Brodie is asking residents to call Metro Vancouver's odour complaint hotline if they continue to smell the odour.

"One of the provisions is that starting in January, if there are successive complaints on fourconsecutive days then Harvest power has to stop taking product into the facility," said Brodie.

"So that is going to be major factor in terms of what it can do if it doesn't get its act together by that time."

Brodie says you can find the complaint hotline on the City of Richmond's website.