Comments From Residents Who Have Experienced The RRRC’s Waste Composting Facility Noxious Odour!
Comments from Residents who have experienced the RRRC’s Waste Composting Facility Noxious Odour!
If you haven’t experienced these emissions – you can’t imagine what it’s like to live with. Here’s some of the comments from residents who’ve had to deal with this noxious odour. Note this only a few people… there are thousands being affected by this.
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LEEMING:
I have been calling every time I find the smell offensive. On average I call the Odourline 6 times a week, varying from 4 – 6 am, mainly when the Air Conditioning unit drags it into the house, and the smell wakes up the family. The thought of asking family and friends over for a BBQ or swim in the pool is now off through embarrassment and shame of what our previously beautiful suburb has become with the odour.
One night, both my son and I experienced blood noses on the same night while the A/C was running. Sore throats are commonplace, and we feel better while at work or school many Km away from home.
My complaints have all been treated as I was the only person to complain according to Chuck Ellis (S.M.R.C). Talking to others this is not so. He stops short of saying I’m a liar, but insists it’s not his facility, and must be other businesses smell. I drove to the Westpac bank at Canningvale one Thursday night 2 weeks ago, and the smell was dreadful. I drove to the facility and parked out the front, and it was extremely offensive. This is the same smell we experience every time the wind direction is our way. Enough to make you feel physically sick. This facility needs to put someone in there to work with complaints, not call people liars and hypochondriacs with their complaints.
WILLETTON:
I came home yesterday at 5.30pm and the smell was so bad from the waste facility that I had to leave my home. Upon travelling home around 10.15pm along Ranford Road and South Street the stench was still as bad as before, if not worse. I live near the corner of South Street and Vahland Avenue in Willetton. My house was filled with the stench, and to be honest I am getting mighty sick and tired of this literally. I pay quite a lot in rates to live in Willetton and don’t expect to have to leave my home in the summer because of the smell. It is virtually impossible to entertain outside, have my air-conditioning on or windows open, let alone leave washing out. One can only hope that this facility will be moved to Nedlands or Mosman Park!
LEEMING:
Last night at 2-30 am we were both woken by the vile smell from the RRRC WCF. We had our evaporative air conditioner on to keeep the air moving in the house but unfortunatly it was drawing in the most obnoxious odour. It was that bad that it woke us both up. We have experienced it many times in the past. We have put up with it for a long time and I understand it is a dificult situation but last night was the last straw.
LEEMING:
Early this morning the RRRC Waste Composting Facility odour starting pouring into the suburb of Leeming. What a stench! My eyes and nose were burning and running. My throat felt like it was on fire. While I was delivering the letter box drops about the RRRC WCF odour many residents complained and said they are fed up with it. The majority of them said they report the odour all the time! They stated they are furious and feel like they are wasting their time by doing so. On asking the number they call to report the odour they ALL said they were calling the SMRC odour hotline. And that Chuck Ellis either made them feel like they were imagining it (like it was all in their head) and / or said the odour wasn’t coming from the RRRC Waste Composting Facility.
And if that’s not bad enough…Then came the stories of how distressed residents are from the odour and how they’ve been putting up with it for years – this made me feel sick to my stomach. The health symptoms that each person said they experienced from the odour were all the same. The kids, wives, husbands and even the pets. Canning Council themselves, carried out an odour survey of folk that lived 1.2 – 1.6km from the RRRC WCF facility… AND 95% stated it was unacceptable and impinged on their amenities at home. 0.4 – 0.8km the facility – 94% stated it was unacceptable and impinged on their amenities at home. Canning and Melville Councils know that residents are suffering. And yet are allowing it to continue at the expense of residents health.
WILLETTON:
*That the RRRC stops preventing me from the enjoyment of my house and garden.
*That the RRRC does not have an adverse effect on the health of me and my family and born and unborn grandchildren.
*That RRRC confirm that these toxins are not responsible for the birth defect which my four weeks old grandson was born with.
*What measures is the RRRC taking to prevent toxic omissions that triggered the shutdown of this plant.
*I demand an explanation why you make us live like this.
LEEMING:
We first experienced the RRRC WCF odour around 11pm. I phoned the Emergency Pollution Response number. I called the SMRC Odour Hotline. Not because I expect them to do anything. I only called both to ensure that my odour report was dealt with correctly. As I, like many other residents, do not have any confidence in the SMRC Odour Hotline. By 12.30am the RRRC’s Waste Composting Facility noxious odour had hit 4 out of 6. By 1 am it absolutely wreaked and would’ve easily been a minimum of 5 out of 6. At 1.30am it was still as strong… it was terrible.
Even though our house was shut up due to the cold weather – the odour still seeped into our home. We couldn’t sleep. Our eyes and nose were burning and running, throats were sore, chest pain when breathing and the dreaded thumping migraine. We have no faith in our State Govt what so ever. I’ve yet to see someone get some —-’s and stand up to those who support this facility. The amount of BS that myself and other residents have heard over the years in regards to this issue is digraceful. And you cannot convince us that those at the top of the food chain don’t know what is truly going on here.
We have no faith in councils either – especially Melville and Canning. We have the City of Melville who’s opinion is: QUOTE: “This Facility is a shared one between 6 councils . Only some parts of Canning and Melville are affected. It is not in they interest to close it down.” END OF QUOTE.
The City of Melville have continued to leave us residents that are suffering in the lurch.
We have had some City of Canning councillors that have continued to scoff at our genuine suffering from the RRRC Waste Composting Facility noxious odour. To the point where they have come across as being cruel, uncaring and even proud of their attempts to belittle us. The councils like to make out there is only a handful of people getting the RRRC Waste Composting Facility odour. I guess it must ease their conscience in some sick way that less residents is acceptable. There is a hell of lot more residents than their “spin” that are getting the odour and aren’t happy about it and are fed up with having this noxious odour afflicted on them and their family’s.The few councillors that do care for the residents suffering are publicly crucified in the paper and in council by those who support the SMRC and anyone else who is pathetic enough to be a RRRC Waste Composting Facility lapdog.
Many residents feel the same and that is: Once again politics rears it’s ugly head and politicians show their true colours – everyone’s running for cover trying to save their butts – meanwhile tough luck for the rate payers and tax payers who are being abused by an odour that can be stopped but isn’t. Why is it that a Regional Council can be allowed to be started in the first place that cannot supposedly be held accountable by anyone. How is it that a regional council can appear to police itself. Can someone please tell me when did reducing green house gasses come at the expense of residents lives and health? Can you honestly say that the RRRC Waste Composting Facility’s emissions that are being bombarded into residents homes and lungs are acceptable practice in regards to assisting with WA’s Zero Waste program? God help us all if it is…
WILLETTON:
“It is a basic human right to be able to breathe in air without the air making people sick!!!! Lets hope and pray we are not going to be subjected to the unbelievable situation the hundreds of us have had to endure the last 4 years again!!!!!!”
LEEMING:
“The smell last night coming from the RRRC was horrendous. It started at dinner time, we tried closing the windows but it was very warm so the options were suffocate from heat suffocate from the smell. When it came to bed time, the smell was even worse. We had to keep the windows closed because the smell was bad, but it was getting pretty warm inside the house. I tried to put my three year old daughter to sleep but couldn’t, she was uncomfortable with the heat. We ended up opening the windows to get some of the breeze. It felt like sleeping in my rubbish bin.
I have another daughter who is 5 weeks old. Can you imagine the reaction of a 5 week old baby when exposed to that. She was sneezing the whole night, here eyes were teary and needless to say did not sleep. We ended up closing the windows, but it was too late the smell was in the house, beds, pillows, the lot. So we now have to put up with the heat and the smell.”
WILLETTON:
“If you would like an idea of what it’s like, here’s what you can do. Next time your rubbish truck picks up your bins, go and stick your nose in the back of the truck, and breath in deeply. As you can imagine, it’s not at all pleasant. Now, follow the truck around for a few hours and see how you feel…
· Sniffling, runny nose
· Burning, itchy, watering eyes
· Nausea
· Headaches
Multiply that by many, many days a month, and you might understand why we are upset. All in all, it’s not very nice (polite version of how I feel).”
LEEMING:
“Whenever the Odour is really bad we get rashes under our eyes, eyes burning, running noses, sneezing, coughing and gagging, migraines, severe chest pains when trying to breath and feel nauseous. Our pets also suffer coughing and gagging, itching, runny eyes and noses. We cannot hang our clothes on the line because our clothes stink from it. We cannot have bbq’s or enjoy our backyard. Our friends will not visit us because they can’t stand the smell. We cannot shut the smell out in summer because the odour pours through the air con vents and we cannot sleep.”
CANNING VALE
“I work opposite the RRRC and every day last week when I left my workplace to go home the stench was there. This morning when I arrived at work around 8:30 it was there again. I work in an airconditioned office sometimes the smell is worse indoors because it filters through the airconditioning vents. I feel for the people who have to live in this area for they can’t even go outdoors without breathing the awful smell.
I hope this letter helps you understand that not only the residents suffer from this intolerable smell, many of us feel sick when we get out of our cars on arriving at work.
When we had some relief thoughout Christmas I thought finally someone was listening to the people and the smell would be gone. Unfortunately this was not the case so or I would not be penning this letter. ”
LEEMING
“This morning at about 7.30 am onwards we experienced an awful foul smell in our yard. the smell of rotting rubbish, putrid.that was following a night of showers, we cannot imagine what it is going to be like after a hot night. It seems like nothing has been done to fix the problem despite all the promises. This is as bad as it’s ever been”
WILLETTON
“I came home yesterday at 5.30pm and the smell was so bad from the waste facility that I had to leave my home. Upon travelling home around 10.15pm along Ranford Road and South Street the stench was still as bad as before, if not worse. I live near the corner of South Street and Vahland Avenue in Willetton. My house was filled with the stench, and to be honest I am getting mighty sick and tired of this literally. I pay quite a lot in rates to live in Willetton and don’t expect to have to leave my home in the summer because of the smell. It is virtually impossible to entertain outside, have my air-conditioning on or windows open, let alone leave washing out. One can only hope that this facility will be moved to Nedlands or Mosman Park!”
LEEMING
“I called the Odour line in the early hours as above, and said for Chuck Ellis not to call me back as I get very frustrated with his attitude and him telling me their plant is not responsible for the odour.
Today, Chuck called to advise me that two (2) of the scrubbers were down and this was the reason we experienced the odour. He admitted the stench was theirs and he was sorry, and he was working on fixing the scrubbers, He also told me one was fixed but the second could not be fixed for some time. I told him the smell was the same as usual, and he just said he was working on it. At last an admission that they do stink! We are not all mad!
The very strong odour has been around all day and all evening, and as I type this, the room smells again of rotting rubbish. I haven’t called again today, because he will say, I told you of the reason, and that makes it okay!
I hope this can be addressed before any health issues become serious.
Still an Angry Ratepayer”
WILLETTON
“It is become unbearable to go outside at various times during the day and evening when there is a breeze. At some stages i cannot even open windows in my house to allow fresh air to circulate throughout my home due to the stench coming through the open windows and doors. It puts us off our food when bbqing and really quiet embaressing when visitors come over and ask what is dying in your yard and then we have to explain to them about the waste facility. Friends and family now prefer to have social events away from our home. My family and friends would be grateful if tests were carried out and a solution found so we can get back to enjoying our family life at home.”
LEEMING
“I wish to report that the putrid (perhaps noxious) odour is still plagueing my families life. From the basis that it is still out there I can only presume that you don’t live in the area. It is at the stage that we cannot allow any open windows or doors in house. We cannot entertain outside due to putrid smells.
I need to know where we can go for:-
1) Real action to take place in correcting this problem
2) any determinations that any illness, lethargy, mental anguish etc are NOT a sympton of this odourous plague.
3) Recompense for land/house values – if I was to try and sell my house I don’t believe that I would get the true value. Added to the duty of disclosure there wouldn’t be any point in trying to sell.
4) Full and nonrefundable assistant, which includes cost of selling and buying along with ALL the associated cost that would be incuured by us in this process. This would also include no interference of our deciding on what would be a comparable place (to our existing house/suburb) for my families to move to if we so choose this option
5) Information about when the plant is going to be shut down”
LEEMING
Our residence (occupied since 1996) would be as crow flies approx under two kms from the Waste facility. At approx 9.30pm evening of 14/4/08 experienced unusual smell on light breeze. Was quite a humid night following 34Deg day. Left bedroom window open and awakened by wife at 3.30am to close it as S.E winds were conveying a definete rancid and rotting smell. Smelt like rancid decaying grain.
Similar to opening bag of compost. Early am, wife reported that to her the smell was similar to putrid and rotting foodstuff.
Running nose and headaches experienced. Normally take two Panadol/day and have for months to relieve coughing. Incidently: was down at Walpole on hired “houseboat” from 28/3/08 to 2/4/08. Every symptom experienced at home address disappeared whilst on inlets. Came back as son as we got back to this rotten problem.
I am completing this report on-line at the moment. Meantime have seen my local GP who has requested me to have blood sample taken for clinical report on dry/itchy skin and Chest Xray as well.
It is about time the powers to be who would make a decision on a matter of this nature, endeavour to stop treating the matter like a “Political” football match, fix the problem, or close the whole shebang down. How long is a yard.
LEEMING
“David Templeman and Jim McGinty… what action are you both taking in regards to our situation? If you both chose to put a stop to this you could – yet you haven’t? Why not?
Please don’t come up with excuses like:
“it’s not in your portfolio”
or “you’ve visited the plant and spoken with the SMRC and you’re sure everything is being done to rectify the situation” — which by the way only increases our concerns because you’ve gone straight to the folk who are breaking the law and forcing this suffering on us – this is an insult!
Get your heads out of the sand and stop ignoring the obvious!We don’t deserve to suffer like this – no one does! Cruelty to humans and animals is abuse, correct? So how come it’s allowed in this situation? Why is it that concerned council members aren’t being heard? And why are the comments and inquiries that have been made by the few politicians that do give a crap been pretty much swept aside?
What will it take for the State Government to get some backbone and shut this plant down and relocate it? A death maybe? That’s usually the way it works doesn’t it?
we’re only run-of-the mill every day joe bloggs in the suburbs. In your eyes we may not seem important – but to our families and others that rely on us – we are. And it’s not fair on them, or us, for you continue to allow us to be experimented on and have toxic chemicals pumped down our throats.
Hopefully it won’t be one of us that has to die from some god awful chemical poisoning related condition for you to get off your backsides — Although between the odour and the stress we’re all going through – who’s knows. Coming from a person who (before experiencing the odour) was a fitness fanatic and enjoyed the aussie outdoor life, being sick all the time from this odour certainly doesn’t feel like living.
I’m not asking here, I’m telling you to ignore the bullies and the behind the scenes politics that is keeping this plant operating and make a stand. Do the right thing by the residents in your state – rather than sitting on your hands and letting this situation get worse. We don’t deserve to be the victims of someone else’s stuff ups.”
LEEMING
“I would like in writing a “100% guarantee” that the odour will be stopped completely and a complete run down from extensive testing to state that this odour is not going to have any long term health affects on residents. I’m not talking about the handful of compost that was tested ages ago. Rather a thorough testing of the air when the smell is peaking in our streets.
Personally, this is my own opinion, I don’t hold any confidence in the SMRC or the RRRC. More effort needs to be made to sort this situation out. It’s unfair to the residents who vote and count on their local councils and Members of Parliament to help them.
It’s scary to think that both Melville and Canning Councils are part of the SMRC, yet so many residents are still suffering and have been for a good couple of years. Like many other residents, it’s got me absolutely disheartened in our State Goverment, Local Government and Local Councils.”
ODOUR COMPLAINT:
Odour Coming From the RRRC Waste Composting Facility, Bannister Road, Canning Vale…
Due to the RRRC Waste Composting Facility odour reaking havoc on our home and lives we decided to pack up and get the hell out of here. From the 11th to the 21 August we were out of this stench hole called Leeming. And none of us wanted to return. The night we arrived back here the RRRC WCF odour was disgusting and it’s been pretty much flat out every afternoon, evening and early morning since we’ve been back.
Within 30 minutes of us being home all the same symptoms that we had left behind came flooding back. Thumping migraine, blood nose, chest pain when breathing, running and burning eyes and nose, sore throat, skin burning, sore glands. Even our dogs are sick again with the awful skin and inhalant allergies they get from the RRRC WCF noxious odour.
Breathing clean air for a change was awesome. And makes you realise just how much this facility – and those of you who have the power to shut it down and relocate it, but don’t – have taken from us.
Would you be happy having to live like this year after year? We’ve been insulted by those further up the food chain saying things like:
“if you don’t like it… move”. (That’s easy to say when it’s not your home, your family, everything you’ve worked so hard for.)
“it’s residents fault because we contribute to the rubbish”.
“This Facility is a shared one between 6 councils . Only some parts of Canning and Melville are affected. It is not in they interest to close it down.”
“They’re just bunch of troublemakers”
Shall I continue? There’s plenty more… we’ve heard it all and it’s nothing but insulting and shows the utter disregard that those in power have for the residents who are being abused by the RRRC WCF noxious odour. You all have no idea (and seemingly don’t care either) what you are putting us through letting this facility continue to operate.
How can you be so heartless and cruel? You’ve obviously been doing it for so long (nearly 5 years we’ve had the odour) — our pleas for help are now passed off as “just another suffering resident’s letter that interrupts your day”.
I was actually hoping that — God knows why — the Parliamentary Inquiry (and those involved in it) may have pulled their heads in and actually made an effort to help those of us who are suffering from the RRRC WCF odour.
But hey, why would a State Govt who’s allowed this to continue for so long actually admit to the biggest environmental stuff up of Alan Carpenter’s “no landfill by 2020 policy”.
FED UP : Phoning the SMRC Odour Hotline is no different from someone breaking into your home then phoning the burglar and complaining that you’ve just been robbed!
Having SMRC councillors along with the guys from the odour unit, driving around our streets and homes laughing about the RRRC WCF odour and rambling about being able to smell fast food and bore water, mentioning resident’s names who complain and other stuff on 4 You Tube videos has only proven:
a. a fine example of how to make a fool of yourself, which they always do…
b. they seem to genuinely not care at all about how the RRRC WCF noxious odour is impacting residents, which we’ve known for years
c. indicates that these guys truly have no idea what they’re doing and their lack of knowledge of the RRRC WCF odour, we’ve also know this for years
d. has only increased residents distrust even further in the SMRC, which was already at it’s all time high — this has just rubbed even more salt into the wounds of residents copping the RRRC WCF odour.
Not exactly the best way to go about the SMRC’s sales pitch of “working with the residents” on the issue.By the way, did the hire of the van and any other expenses involved in the You Tube videos come from our rates that fund the SMRC’s seemingly failed RRRC WCF venture? I’m guessing it’ll be in the SMRC minutes?
Just when you think those who support the RRRC WCF couldn’t stoop any lower they continue to step up to the plate and insult the residents genuine suffering even further. Passing millions of dollars onto folk – who couldn’t run a cake stall – to squandar on a facility that doesn’t work — simply doesn’t make sense.
Local Government Minister John Castrilli and Minister for the Environment Donna Faragher, what are you doing about this? Or has this already been thrown into the “too hard” basket because the issue is too big to deal with?
City of Canning and City of Melville is this disaster really what you want to be remembered for in the history of local govt? How about rising above all of this and looking after the residents, your rate payers, for whom you’re the care takers of.
Participating councils… all we can do is nod our heads in shame that you’ve chosen to continue to financially support a facility that is negatively affecting residents lives and health in a way that you couldn’t even begin to imagine.
Out of all these councils – there’s only a handful of councillors and one Mayor that is brave enough to take action – and boy have they copped some flack for doing so by those who support the RRRC WCF. That’s pretty sad, considering this tragic situation.
Shame on you all who have turned your back on the residents! 1000′s of lives are in your hands — and you treat us like our family’s and pets have no value what so ever.
Tell me, can you honestly say that you truly are ok with knowing this is going on — and still allowing it to continue? Do all the folk suffering really mean so little to you?
FED UP 2: We have had the Odour from the RRRC WCF facility in Bannister Road very bad this week, and on 3 occasions had representatives come out to our house. The first was on Tuesday evening when I reported the odour around 6.30pm to the S.M.R.C. odour complaint line. Some 50 minutes later SMRC officer came to our street. I watched as the officer got out of his car and lit a cigarette and started smoking it. He also started walking around the area and I think was sniffing out any odours? I met the officer out the front of our property and asked what he found? His reply was nothing!
I asked him into our house and upstairs where I was working with the window open, and I felt the odour was a 3 out of 5 rating.
The SMRC officer threw his cigarette on the road out the front of my house (which I was not impressed by the littering) and came into our house. He stood at the window where I could smell the odour, but had reduced to a 1-2 from the 3 when I called up. When he stood in the open window, all I could smell then, was cigarette smoke. He again couldn’t smell anything. (No wonder)
He left some 5 minutes later at around 7.45pm. I vowed to my wife, I was never going to waste another dollar calling the Odour complaint line again. (Like most people who live around here it seems)
The next day, I was out the front when the RRRC WCF odour was strong again, so I called the SMRC Community Liaison Officer. She said she could be there in 20 minutes and she was. When she walked up to my house, she could smell the RRRC WCF straight away. She was at our property for around 45 min and the RRRC WCF odour was detected by her on no less than 8 times and lasting several minutes.
As the evening went on, the RRRC WCF odour got stronger, to a point my wife said I’m calling the Odour complaint line. I said you are wasting your time and money, but she was so fed up she did anyway. She called at 9.00pm and the same “cigarette smoking” officer attended at 9.45pm where I greeted him again. He went for a walk around the area at our address again, and on his return, I asked if the odour was worse down the ally way near our house than it was out the front.
His reply was “what odour?”! I said, “You cant smell that stench?” And his reply was ” I cant smell nothing”. At this point I was so disgusted I turned my back and went inside. I feel these people lie to save their jobs, and or the plant shutting down. There is no wonder people dont report any odour anymore, because if this is what they get, it makes your blood boil.
