'Nauseating' odour causing problems in Sarnia, Ont.

What’s described as a “nauseating odour” has lingered in the air in Sarnia Ont. for several weeks.

“It’s like a constant sewage smell. It’s strong. You can’t get away from it,” said resident Taylor Sinclair. “It has impacted us to the point that we can’t go outside some days.”

Several residents in the south end of the city have sent in formal complaints to the City of Sarnia about the foul-smelling odour that they believe is coming from a lagoon facility on Scott Road.

The Brantford-based company Wessuc Inc. stores sewage from a wastewater treatment plant that was purchased from the city in 2020.

Located not far from the treatment plan is a composting site owned by the city.

Dawn Archer and her family noticed the smell a few months ago after living in the area for the last two years.

“We can’t have the windows open with the smell because the entire house will smell,” she said.

Mayor Mike Bradley told CTV News he was opposed to the plant operating close by.

“I don’t believe in the importation of waste. We should be taking care of our own waste in our own communities,” he said.

After receiving numerous complaints the company issued an apology letter from Wessuc Inc. vice president Hank Vanveen to the city last week.

The letter cited steps to address the odours including, “the removal of 11,000m3 of material stored in the lagoon, covering the surface with odour-absorbing material and treating the lagoon with an organic deodorizing solution.”

“And yet since then the smell has gotten worse so the remedial action isn’t working so they have to up their game and respect the community,” said Bradley.

Bradley told CTV News he is waiting to speak with the new provincial environment minister to move forward on addressing the odour concerns in his community.

Even with the plan to mitigate the odour, many residents say there has been not been a significant change.

“They are not the ones living with the smell. They’re not the ones that can’t have their windows open or use their backyards,” Archer said.

The city purchased the Scott Road Sewage Lagoon in 1961 from Polymer Corporation. The location was being used as a dump before the city turned it into a sludge lagoon for the wastewater treatment plant.