PNW residents question if wood pulp mill is to blame for mysterious stink, WSDE says

PNW residents are still on pins and needles wanting to find out what caused the ‘big stink’ in September – and some are pointing fingers at a SW Washington paper pulp mill, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.

A spokesperson for the department says they are still investigating the source of the smell.

Brittny Goodsell, Southwest Region Office (SWRO) Communications Manager, named WestRock Mill as the facility locals are questioning as the culprit. WestRock is a wood pulp mill that specializes in pulp and paper products.

“We’re aware this idea is out there, but we haven’t reached a conclusion about whether the WestRock Mill in Longview was involved in the odor. At this time, we’re still gathering data before we can make that conclusion,” Goodsell said during an interview. “We regulate that mill and they have the proper permit to do their work.”
Goodsell says it’s common for pulp mills to have odors.

“The duration of and geographical reach of this particular odor that started a few weeks ago is uncommon, and we are unclear at this time if it came from WestRock,” she explained.

“Again, we’re reviewing records and data from the nearby mills to reach a conclusion. Until we have all the data, we don’t have other details or findings to currently offer.”

The stink was first reported in late September, sweeping through Clark County and down into the Portland metro area. Resurgences were reported in SW Washington and Portland several times.

Multiple emergency sources said they’d received reports of eye and throat irritation, as well as headaches, that were possibly related to the smell.

The stink itself has been described by witnesses as smelling like anything from natural gas, to raw sewage, to rotting meat.

https://katu.com/news/local/pnw-residents-question-if-wood-pulp-mill-is-to-blame-for-mysterious-stink
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Author: KATU News
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News post in at: October 19, 2024, 3:03 am.

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