Does Aurora Smell?
Posted by auroracitizen on November 19, 2010
Has anyone noticed that disgusting smell that’s been permeating throughout Aurora?
No, nothing to do with the residue left over from the municipal elections. This smell is real.
Whenever the wind blows up from the south side of town, that awful stink from the yard waste drop off site on Bloomington completely covers the town. It incredible how this has continued on and off again for a few years now.
Can’t something be done about this? I can’t possibly be the only one to find the smell nauseous.
Kevin in Aurora
Aurora Citizen 
Anonymous said
I’m sitting in my classroom right now with the windows rolled down. As I sit, I can faintly smell the Miller Waste dump from the opposite side of the room, across the town. Something needs to be done about this smell.
Anonymous said
You should have smelled Colis Leather on Tyler.Wow that was like rotten eggs.
The waste from the factory is buried on Bayview Ave near Bloomington I am told.
Hundreds and hundreds of barrels of tanning waste.
Trucks go in and out at all hours now and some wonder if there is a connection.
Another Anonymous said
Why are people here referring to this as a ‘country smell’? There’s nothing ‘country’ about it! A ‘country’ smell is the smell of manure (which to me, while noxious at times, is tolerable), not the smell of rotting garbage…and believe me that’s what it smells like!!
Evelyn Buck said
The smell from Miller’s composting yard is organic waste. Leaves and plants and grass clippings and everything that grows.
Thousands of tons are transported from our yards, piled into huge mounds and turned regularly in the process of smelly de-composition ending up as black crumbly, earthy smelling compost to return to our gardens as nutrition for new growth.
There really isn’t anything that should be done about it.
Because, it’s a good thing we do here.
LivingInAurora said
Lol, country smells don’t bother me also.
Have any of you passed by the recently renovated pumping station on the intersection of Industrial
Parkway and St john’s sideroad. If you want to complaint about smell, that is one smell to complain about, lol. But the smell don’t bother me, I just don’t know what’s in the smell that I am actually intaking. Anna
Sharon said
That’s methane! And yes, it’s not pleasant but neccessary.
Mr. Spock said
That smell comes from York Region’s Miller Waste Systems managed compost facility.
Actually, “managed” is a bit overly fanciful a description.
Most of the materials that go in there is, if properly handled, virtually odor free. Stuff like leaves, branches etc.
The leftover vegetative food products (pre-consumer, green bin materials are not allowed there) and the liquid wastes that go there are the problem.
Also the pond where the “water” used to maintain the moisture level of the compost is something of an odorific issue now and again.
Of course the this whole situation could be rectified, along with continuing landfill problems could be mitigated if the provincial government would get it’s collective head out of it’s but and seriously considered modern incineration.
It’s time.
Matt Maddocks said
Mr. Spock – nice post. I agree too that the province should have an in-depth look at incineration as a means to deal with waste. I’ve read a few things regarding extemely effective incineration models in Europe. Efficient elimination of waste with very low emissisions using high-tech scrubbing technology.
Luckywife said
Good timing bringing this up. I just read in The Star today that the Ministry of Enviroment has issued a “conditional” green light to the Clarington Incinerator project.
I don’t get what all the fuss is about. The technology to do it cleanly and efficiently has been available for quite a while. I think I may have read somewhere that they are experimenting with trying to capture the energy that is generated during the burn. Does that make sense, or am I confusing it with something else?
Sharon said
Well Mr Spock, try driving on Leslie with your windows down with a west wind blowing. I’m surprised the polo horses don’t drop dead from noxious fumes! When the wind shifts east, the rest of the southern community is treated to the ‘smell of money” as one family member from said company mentioned one stinky morning!
Try golfing at Bloomington Downs with an east wind blowing.
The citizens of Newmarket put a company on their ear for the exact same smell!
Mr. Spock said
Uh, Sharon, no it’s not the “exact same smell” that closed Halton Recycling’s facility in Newmarket.
Miller handles garden waste mostly.
Halton dealt with green bin material from households and other post consumer sources. Nasty stuff actually, no wonder it smelt bad.
Halton didn’t have a good track record before that, so no wonder.
And as I am neither a polo horse nor a golfer (somewhat similar beasts, really), I am not really bothered by the smell. Having been born and lived in the country for most of my life, those sorts of smells do not trouble me.
As an aside, one wonders why the citizenry are satisfied with the reduction in service they have been receiving the last couple of decades. In the past, garbage was collected weekly, in some cases twice a week. And there was no requirement to sort or separate either.
Now we are required to turn our front porches into recycling centres, and pay for the privelege to boot.
Pay more…, get less.
Hmmm…
Something is definately wrong here.
Seems to me we should be readying the torches and pitchforks…
BTW, Maddocks: Thanks for the compliment, but take it easy buddy, we’re not friends yet.
Matt Maddocks said
I guess I’ll return the ring to the jewelry store then Spock…
WTF???
Robert the Bruce said
Sharon,
The other difference between Miller and Halton… who was there first? I think Miller has been on that site for a long time – lonf before the houses at the south end of Aurora and East Oakridges started to pop up. Halton was a new facility in an urban area.
I don’t have a problem with it – I am far enough away that it does not bother me. It’s not noxious – it’s a little “ripe”. As far as golfing at Bloomington Downs, they don’t complain – Miller owns the golf course too.
Fuimus
Mr. Spock said
Maddocks,
If you were already picking out the china, my apologies…
Luckywife said
Matt, if Spock doesn’t want the ring, then the hell with him, I’ll take it. The diamonds are real, right?
Luckywife
Winter's comin said
My dear Kevin, IMO you have 4 choices in dealing with the smell: 1) ignore it 2) call Wendy G on Council – environmental issues is her bag; 3) get out your wallet and get ready to pay for the remedy. 4)move to another town.
As a long time resident of Aurora, my choice is number 1. Learning to live with country smells is a whole lot cheaper than a city fix. You can always close your windows or just plug your nose when the warm wind blows. Afterall how often does it happen?
Air’s fresh today and no stink. cheers … wc
Sharon said
Sorry Folks,
This is not a country smell.
I live in the country.
Mind you, the pig and chicken farms in Maple were pretty rich smelling too way back.
This is choking, acrid and nauseating. We drive by it daily.
Just depends which way the wind blows if you get it full in the face. How can you comment if you have never experienced it? Lucky there is little housing around.
Isn’t there a development quarrel for the north east corner? Whew, wait till that goes in! Then the “#&! will hit the fan!
Fred said
I’ve noticed the same thing quite a number of times in the last couple of months. Sometimes it is really, really, ripe.