On Wednesday, the social media platform Reddit was abuzz with speculation — and some citizen reporting — about the possible origin of a smell that has been described as “rotten eggs,” “burning rubber,” and “ammonia.”
Referred to online as “the stink,” the odor originated in the Longview-Kelso area, according to the Vancouver-based Southwest Clean Air Agency, which enforces state and federal air quality standards.
According to SWCAA Executive Director Uri Papish, investigators are still confirming the exact source. But, he said, they have ruled out several culprits including mobile sources, wastewater treatment plants and odorant stations, where odors are added to natural gas so people can smell leaks.
“The kraft pulp mills are a potential source. We have not confirmed that, but we have not ruled them out,” Papish said, referring to mills that convert wood pulp into paper.
In late September, when “the stink” first appeared, residents described the aroma of cabbage and worried about possible venting from nearby Mount St. Helens. The Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management even got involved.
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Pungent smells from pulp and paper mills are common. Longview, Washington, is the location of several mill facilities: Nippon Dynawave Packaging Corporation, Westrock Longview and North Pacific Paper Company, according to records from the Washington State Department of Ecology, which regulates the mills.
Steam is seen at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company plant, which manufactures liquid packaging board, on March 14, 2024, in Longview, Wash.
Jenny Kane / AP
“We are investigating air quality data from the Westrock mill that could be tied to the September odor complaints,” said Brittny Goodsell, a spokesperson for the Department of Ecology.
She said they have no indication Westrock violated its air quality permit, though it requires the company to minimize odors from its operations and take action if smells affect residents.
In a statement emailed to OPB, Westrock spokesperson Robby Johnson said the company has cooperated with the Department of Ecology’s investigation, and has completed its own internal review.
“Smurfit Westrock can confirm that no air permit violations occurred at the facility on September 24, 2024, and there is no indication the Longview paper mill was the source of odors cited in complaints.”
Based on the description of the odor and the distance it traveled, Papish said, it’s most likely from reduced sulfur compounds, which are used to break down pulp at such facilities.
“One thing about reduced sulfur compounds is that they smell really bad at a level that’s far below any documented health impact level,” he said.
It will likely be several weeks before the Department of Ecology can confirm the source of the smell, Goodsell said. While it’s not clear if “the stink” will return before its source is confirmed, neither agency said they believe the odor poses a danger to residents.