Efforts to clean compost smell in East end continue

The drifting smell of rotten food scraps in Hamilton’s east end is getting worse before it gets better.

The noxious odor emanating from the city’s central composting facility on Burlington Street was revived today, even though the building had been emptied of any compost last week. The facility has been shut down while the ministry of the environment investigates.

Since last week, workers have removed 27 hundred tonnes of finished compost from Hamilton’s central composting facility, as well as about 900 tonnes of residual material, which is a mulch-type concoction used to help the decomposition process.

The city’s manager of recycling and waste says the newly revived stink is coming from the next part of the process.

Local Councilor Sam Merulla says the problem began about three years ago.

Merulla says the city may consider taking over operation of the composting facility especially if the company that runs it now is found to be negligent during the ongoing investigation.

Cleaning should be complete within four working days then there should be nothing left to cause a stench.

In the meantime, Hamiltonians are asked to keep composting as usual, except your yard waste, which should be kept separate from your green bin material.