One of the key arguments among those who oppose the Kingsway Entertainment District is its proximity to the Sudbury Landfill Site.
Although another common criticism of the KED is that it’s “out in the sticks,” there are commercial properties and a mainly residential neighbourhood immediately south of the site.
Sudbury.com went doorknocking in the neighbourhood earlier this week along Moonlight Avenue and Claude Street, which are among the closest in proximity to the landfill site.
On whether they’ve experienced smell from the landfill, area residents’ response varied from a shrug and a “nope” to expressing longstanding concern.
Claude Street resident Arnold Kennedy has lived in his home for 48 years and said the landfill odour used to be a lot worse a few years ago, when he reported it to the city several times, but that it has improved in recent months.
“It’s been pretty good,” he said, adding that although he “vaguely” picked up a smell this summer it hasn’t been as bad as it has been in the past, when on one occasion he recalls hosting a barbecue in which a blast of smell was so bad he asked, “Someone throw up, or what?”
Since he complained about the odour to Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc several months ago, he said things have improved.
Other residents said the odour arises every once in a while and that it’s “nothing that we can’t handle,” and, “it is what it is.”
“I don’t notice it day to day,” area resident Mike Zacerkowny said. “I’ve never had it be a big deal.”
As for concerns related to the KED, he said that although attendees might catch a whiff of the landfill site in the parking lot, they’re more likely to smell the exhaust from other vehicles. He also clarified that he has never smelled it inside his home.
Leduc said that he still receives phone calls related to landfill site odours on occasion and that the manager of the nearby Moonlight Inn and Suites keeps a close nose on things.
But, he said there haven’t been as many complaints lately as there used to be.
“What we’ve been doing is working with our compost pile that has been the culprit for the smell, so we’ve really come down and had good discussions with the contractor to make sure that when we go to rotate or turn the compost pile that we make sure the wind isn’t blowing in the direction of the neighbourhoods,” he said.
“We’re using different techniques and that’s been working quite well.”
When complaints do arise, Leduc says he reaches out to the landfill manager to make sure they’re following protocols required to eliminate the odour.
These actions, he said, have been taking place “regardless of the KED,” and that landfill site odour was one of the issues raised by residents during past doorknocking expeditions he has undertaken and remains a priority.
City acting director of environmental services Renee Brownlee shared the same sentiment as it relates to those who phone in odour complaints to the city’s customer service line, 311.
When complaints are received, she said the city sends staff out immediately to determine the source of the odour and what can be done to mitigate it.
Eliminating odour is one of the key tasks behind operating a landfill site, she said, and although bad smells will arise from time to time, she said it’s the nature of the beast — “It’s garbage.”
Thus far in 2021, she said the city has had 12 days where there have been odour complaints in the vicinity of the landfill site, of which staff investigation revealed 10 were related to the landfill site.
Approximately half of these calls were related to the organics composting process.
Although the compost is only turned when the wind is blowing away from the neighbourhood, Brownlee said there have been occasions when the wind has shifted.
Other landfill operations can also trigger odours, she said, such as the disposal of asbestos and odorous loads. This requires a hole to be dug in advance of receiving the load, which is required to be buried immediately and can trigger short-term odour concerns.
“I think a few years back there was a higher number of complaints and we put in additional mitigation strategies that have helped reduce the number of odours generated and complaints received,” Brownlee said.
“We’re going to continue with our reduction and mitigation strategies. There’s always room for improvement and wherever we can find somewhere we can improve then we’re going to do that.
“That’s just part of our job, so we want to do that well, and it seems that we are doing as good as a job as we can, given that this is garbage.”
The organics composting system will be relocated at some point “a number of years away” due to it being situated within the landfill site’s waste disposal footprint, Brownlee said, adding that although nothing specific has been planned as it relates to the KED scheduled to open in 2024, “it would be like any other business or home in the surrounding area. … In the vast majority of the time, there’d be no indication you’re located close to a landfill.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
