City of London residents located south of the 401 Highway are complaining about the foul smell coming from Orgaworld, a compost plant located on Wellington Road South.

The plant is approved to hold 150,000 tons of organic materials, which includes dirty diapers and feminine hygiene products. Despite a state-of-the-art odour abatement system, members of the community still complain that the odour of the plant is driving them from their homes. General Studies student Argia "Mike" Bleyendaa said, "I have several friends and family in the South Wellington area. The smell seems to come in waves. Sometimes I am just at a friend's place, we open the window, and all we can smell is the disturbing presence of rotting compost and ammonia." The "offensive" smell is a problem on its own; the other is the fact that Orgaworld had promised "zero odour."

This problem has made it to City Hall, where council voted not to take action on a nuisance bylaw to enforce odour prevention to industries that may produce a foul odour. Instead, council voted 13-0 in favour of a motion that would increase council's involvement with Orgaworld and the Ministry of Environment. This pertains to more technical research, looking at what other municipalities are doing in similar situations, requiring more frequent reports from Orgaworld, and assisting with more public outreach.

Orest Katolyk, bylaw officer for the City of London, said it would be difficult to have a charge under provincial law for something that smells bad. "The Ministry of Environment has a process in play where they have people in Ontario who are educated and trained on odour; those 10 people smell it and rank it." A ranking of 1 is a low odour, and a 10 is high. London city council wanted city staff to explore doing the same thing under a municipal bylaw, but the end result was that smell is too subjective to enforce any sort of bylaw to regulate it.

At the public participation meeting held in the council chambers on November 13, the Planning and Environment Committee heard from just about everyone on the issue.

Orgaworld's manager of operations, Greg Mariotti, expressed their efforts, "We have invested more than $5 million in odour abatement to improve odours. The London facility is state-of-the-art for a waste processing facility. But we are committed to continuous improvement. We will not stop until the reasonable expectations of our neighbours are fulfilled, however to expect zero odour from a waste processing facility is not a reasonable expectation."

Community member Robert Scott told city council, "I lived at Westminster Drive, approximately one kilometre south of the Orgaworld plant, for 30 years. Our quality of life has been seriously impacted because of Orgaworld. We have made several complaints about the odour from the facility. Twice this summer we have turned off our air conditioner, only to be awakened by the smell of the Orgaworld plant. We have been forced off our back deck."

Some were surprised that the Ministry of Environment did not show up to the meeting. "I'm extremely disappointed," Councillor Harold Usher said following the meeting.

A frustrated Bud Polhill, chair of the Planning and Environment Committee, shared the same feelings towards the Ministry of Environment. "The issue is with them. They are the one who issued the certificates, they are the one who is monitoring them (Orgaworld) and they didn't show up."

Confusion on whether or not the Ministry of Environment was invited to the meeting was put to rest once their spokesperson, Kate Jordan, commented that the Ministry received no formal invitation to the meeting, although they were aware of it. "We have had discussions with the City on the meeting. Committee meetings are not meetings that the Ministry typically attend." Jordan added that the Ministry of Environment looks forward to working closely with the City of London and residents to reduce and control the odours from Orgaworld.

Many community members continue to be irritated not only by the smell, but lack of change in the city. Many are sure the communication triangle between Orgaworld, the Ministry of Environment, City Council and Londoners will continue to cause a stench in the city.