Odor Control
There has been a big improvement in the smells that come from the Mill Creek treatment plant over the last few years. Living up the hill from MSD has become less noticeable as the incidents of odors have become dramatically less.Jeanne Nightingale,
Resident on Glenway Avenue
Currently, MSD considers odor control in all new projects. For instance, a new Septage Receiving Station at the Mill Creek Treatment Plant was put into operation in June of 2009. Located at the southeast corner of Gest and Evans streets, the station accepts sanitary waste and grease from public and private sources. Community concerns about odors prompted the construction of this building, which includes two high bays equipped with a carbon filter odor control unit. This automated station replaced the open manhole at the north end of the Mill Creek plant. This project, costing $4.2 million, was begun in November 2007 and completed in May 2009 with a formal dedication.
MSD and Lower Price Hill CAP: Relationships Foster Solutions
In an effort to address odor issues affecting the Lower Price Hill community, the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) was established in February 2002 by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between MSD and the Cincinnati Office of Environmental Management. The agreement required MSD to increase public announcements when odor issues were anticipated, to develop a 5-year plan for odor control improvements, and invest a minimum of $25,000 by 2005 for specific odor control projects.
In the first year, MSD and the CAP tackled odor issues through research, discussion, and operational improvements. In December 2002, when a Cincinnati City Council decision to repeal the Title X air quality ordinance made the MOA null and void, MSD chose to continue working with the CAP to identify additional odor sources. As a result, MSD significantly updated infrastructure and commissioned a septage receiving station that reduces and better contains odors. These improvements were voluntary and went beyond the requirements of the original MOA.
In working with the CAP, we experienced first hand the benefits of stakeholder engagement. As a result, MSD chose to continue hosting CAP meetings once a quarter, to foster the relationship with the Lower Price Hill community on the foundation of common interests and two-way communications that had been built. Over time, the focus of the meetings has expanded beyond odor control issues to include other operational topics and partnerships such as support of the Oyler School-Based Health Center and the Lower Price Hill Day community event. In 2009, MSD brought the new septage receiving station on line and dedicated the facility to the Lower Price Hill Community. Additionally, we completed an odor control study to evaluate odor control systems. Looking forward, we are currently reviewing the design for decommissioning the anaerobic digesters, a current source of odor issues.
To report odor complaints, please call the Hamilton County Air Quality 24-hour hotline (513-946-7777 or 800-889-0474) or follow instructions at the complaints website at http://www.hcdoes.org/airquality/webpages/complaints.htm.