An Edmonton composting company, which has operated under an environmental enforcement order since 2011 and been identified in hundreds of public complaints, has agreed to pay $3,500 worth of nuisance odour tickets. CleanIt GreenIt, based in west Edmonton, said it struck a plea bargain with the Crown to pay the fine equivalent of 14 of 33 city bylaw violations ($250 per fine) and avoid court proceedings.
CleanIt GreenIt claims that they are not the sole source of odour in the vicinity. It claims that sewers, wells and construction sites also periodically emit foul odours. CleanIt GreenIt is calling for a review of the city’s odour nuisance bylaw, claiming the tickets were issued without scientific facts or proper investigation. The company states that it was responsible for only 21 of the 149 odour complaints it received in 2020 and investigated.
The company claims that it regularly patrol neighbouring communities and respond rapidly to any reports of smells from its Composting Site. Its patrollers are specially trained to monitor, investigate and report on odour events. It issued a statement defending it position.
Neighbours started a petition to shut the facility down. It has over 2,000 signatires.
CleanIt GreenIt has been operating at 204 Street and 113 Avenue in Edmonton since November 1998. The city said it has received complaints about the company since 2003.
In 2011, the province issued an enforcement order under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act for multiple violations including “failure to contain odours onsite.” The order also indicates CleanIt GreenIt has been the subject of public complaints since March 2004.
