Environmental Smells
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Environmental Smells
August 2006
a couple of times we have noticed a strange smell in the air in
Albany and some people have referred to it as ''burned
rubber''smell but noone we asked could explain where it comes
from...it seems to be around the Gilman St area....does anyone
know what it is,where it comes from or if it might become a
problem for our health?
thankfull for any answers
happy in albany
This comes from the cement factory on Sixth and Gilman. There is a neighborhood group
that has been active for many years trying to get them to install more cleaning
equipment on the stacks and some progress has been made through a deal with the Air
District but many feel that deal is not enough. You can contact the Ecology Center on
San Pablo Ave. www.ecologycenter.org or Communities for a Better Environment on
Telegraph in Oakland www.cbecal.org for more details - there are pending lawsuits,
dueling neighborhood groups, etc.... Health effects are controversial but I am
convinced they are not good!
clark
Here is an article about Pacific Steel on Second by Gilman and the smell problems. It
has been going on for a long time, unfortunately.
http://www.berkeleydaily.org/article.cfm?archiveDate=04-01-
05&storyID=21060
gh
My husband used to work at the intersection of 6th Street and Gilman and there is
definitely a toxic smell to the area. I would investigate with the city of Berkeley to
find out if anyone is violating any ordinances. In other words, you're not imagining
it and it should be stopped.
-Good luck
Anonymous
The smell you describe comes from the ''plume'' of emissions from Pacific Steel
Castings. This has been an air quality problem for many years. A local group of
residents has formed to pressure the company to install better scrubbers and filtering
equipment, and to pressure the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to be more
responsive to neighbors' complaints and to enforce the law. The group is called West
Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs. Here's their website:
http://westberkeleyalliance.org/
You can also find out more by calling the Ecology Center's info hotline at 548-2220
x233. The emissions are toxic, and the neighborhood group is training to take air
samples during those unpredictable times when the smell is strong Amy K.
The smell comes from Pacific Steel Casting, located on the corner of 2nd and Gilman.
Complaints from the community have prompted multiple rounds of talks between the city
of Berkeley, Bay Area Air Quality Management District and PSC. The smell comes from
the forms they use for the steel. It's a nuisance -- not a health hazard. More info
can be found at:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/council1/psc.htm (Berkeley City Council notes on PSC)
another local who smells it
Burned rubber smell - what a loaded issue that is for residents around Gilman Sreet -
probably the most toxic area in Berkeley.
The culprit for the past 30+ years: Pacific Steel Casting!
cleanaircoalition.net is a growing number of like-minded individuals from Berkeley,
Albany and El Cerrito who are fed up with having to breathe Pacific Steel Casting's
(PSC) toxic fumes. There are two organizations that are working together to arrange a
class action small claims law suit for anyone who has been bothered by the nuisance
created by Pacific Steel's emissions. They are hoping to consolidate dozens of
complaints to force Pacific Steel to clean up or shut down. More info about the
organizations can be found at http://www.neighborhoodsolutionsinc.net/id19.html
or you can e-mail them at: info@neighborhoodsolutionsinc.net You can also call the
West Berkeley Alliance at 510-558-8757.
Pacific Steel has been well protected by Berkeley City officials and air control
management is rather slowly responding after all these years. But is it a coincidence
that I know of two stay-at-home moms die of cancer in this area over the past 4 years
and another neighbor fighting cancer? Don't know. What you brought up is a very hot
issue - I've heard but obviously can't verify that Pacific Steel Casting works on
government contracts, so please count on friendly resistance from officials. My
sincere dream is to see the plant close down for good. The way things are going, the
only improvement will be the installment of filters this fall to improve the smell but
not a reduction in emissions of the most dangerous toxins.
Can we solve this before the next big earthquake will? If you have ideas, resources,
legal advice to offer, please contact the coalition. anonymous
I just witnessed that smell recently while a block from Gilman on 6th St. (in
Berkeley, at the restaurant Picante). I complained that it smelled like bad brakes,
and a couple next to me informed me that it is from a factory in the neighborhood
(they pointed in direction of freeway) and that it smells like that frequently. It
sure doesn't smell pleasant or healthy. jess
My colleagues at work have told me that the smell is emanating from Pacific Steel.
Many years ago my daughter went to pre-school at Duck's Nest down on 4th St. I was
concerned about the air quality in that area since at times there was a nasty smell in
the air. I contacted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
(http://www.baaqmd.gov/) and was told that though the air might smell bad, it isn't
necessarily 'toxic'. But this was about ten years ago, so I would recommend that you
contact the BAAQMD and ask whether they have any monitoring stations in that area,
what they monitor for, and whether any companies in that area have been fined for
toxic air emissions anonymous
re: burnt rubber smell. You are right, it is from the Gilman Street area and the
problem is coming from Pacific Steel.
Please contact GreenAction (www.greenaction.org should be the
email) and let them know you have noticed the smell Another concerned parent
re: burnt rubber smell. You are right, it is from the Gilman Street area and the
problem is coming from Pacific Steel.
Please contact GreenAction (www.greenaction.org should be the
email) and let them know you have noticed the smell Another concerned parent
I lived and worked in Albany years ago. I was working at the Albany Children's Center
and that same smell was there then, 1970. It comes from one of the factories in that
area. It really is obnoxious. Try and call Bay Area Pollution Control.
Mostly they respond to car pollution but they may have some information
Megan
the burning rubber/tar smell in albany lately is due to the re-roofing of ocean view
school. we live nearby and the work has been going on for about 3 weeks, but it's much
needed as some of the classrooms there have rainwater that leaks into classrooms!
not sure how long it will last, but assuming it will be done by the end of the month
as school will start!
erin
Thanks for asking about that horrible chemical smell! I have brought this up so many
times to my husband (who says it is just a truck that went by, even though no trucks
did!) and to my neigbors, none of whom seem to have noticed it. But it is real! I know
it is!!
I typically have noticed the smell early in the morning, especially on hot, still
days. I have smelled it in North Berkeley, Albany, West Berkeley, Kensignton, and
South El Cerrito.
I have often wondered if it was from the smokestack near Gilman, which you can easily
see from the freeway. The worst time I smelled it was at Picante restaurant, out on
the patio -- a location very near to the smokestack. It made me gag so much I couldn't
eat my food.
I'm asthmatic and have very sensitive lungs -- a lot of things bother me that other
people don't notice. It makes me feel a bit like a canary in a coal mine -- what awful
stuff are we all breathing that so few of us even notice?
another smeller
Have you noticed this smell for a long time or just recently? I know they began
roofing the school on the corner of Jackson and Buchanan in June and it stinks like
burning rubber. P-U!
Elizabeth
The smell is the foundry down at the corner of Gilman and East shore, next to the
freeway.
Chuck
The smell is probably from Pacific Steel Castings. You can learn about the current
situation by going through recent editions of the Berkeley Daily Planet online. There
is a complaint hotline you can call when it is bad. Here's the info.
1-800-334-ODOR(6367). It's a 24 hour hotline.
It stinks and it's probably toxic, so I encourage you to call and register a complaint
good luck
You can contact Bay Area Air Quality Management District. See weblink for more
details http://www.baaqmd.gov/enf/complaints.htm
They are the agency that regulations non-vehicle emissions.
When you smell an odor you should record the time & the wind direction as best as you
can. BAAQMD inspectors may visit you and help to track down the odor source. I work
for an industry that is regulated by BAAQMD. The inspectors are very professional and
typically are very good at locating sources of odors. jahls
The event below already passed, but I think the following will more than answer your
question. This is a very political issue. You could probably google this (or may I
suggest goodsearch this) find more info. We were bummed to have the smell after
buying in the No. Bkly area and I was especially concerned b/c I was pregnant at the
time. The baby is now 2 and going very strong...
COMMUNITIES ANNOUNCE HUNT FOR PACIFIC STEEL TOXICS WBA will train community to
independently test for foundry's pollution
The West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs (WBA), a grassroots community
organization pressuring Pacific Steel Casting Company (PSC) to protect jobs and stop
polluting the air, will host a particulate swipe training. At this free training
community members will learn how to conduct independent swipe tests for dangerous
particulates from PSC. Everyone affected by particulate fallout in the area is welcome
to attend.
Exact levels of fugitive particulates escaping PSC are not known. Small particulate
pollution has been closely linked to aggravation of existing heart and lung
conditions, as well as increased death rates in populations experiencing prolonged
exposure. Children and elders are most vulnerable. PSC has repeatedly delayed release
of an updated emissions inventory report that was mandated by the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District as part of a Health Risk Assessment.
Community residents and organizers seek facts about Pacific Steel's pollution. After
training, community members will be able to determine pollution facts via independent
testing. International environmental testing expert Global Community Monitor supports
WBA in the training.
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave, near Dwight Way, Berkeley.
Info: 510-548-2220 x233
anon
I know the smell you're talking about, because I smelled it too, when I was at Toot
Sweets on Gilman last week. We live in El Cerrito, and my husband and I noticed a
similar smell in our neighborhood a couple days before PG&E's power transformer blew
and we all lost our power. I think the smell might be the sheathing on the power
lines burning. They've got a lot of wires to replace, and I have no idea when all this
will take place. I've been meaning to call and ask them about the smell and whether
there are any health implications.
kubes
I was amazed to see the number of postings addressing the burned rubber
smells in the Albany area. We moved here a bit over a year ago and I
have had ongoing problems with sore and raw throat and cough and my
asthma has been hugely worse requiring daily inhalors and other
medications = neither needed before. My daughter has complained about
sore throats since we moved as well. I've asked a few folks and no one
else seems to notice this smell (thank goodness for all of you!) so I
haven't known quite what to do but, as the other woman with asthma who
posted, I too am acutely aware of irritants and toxins. My point is
that my rather over-developed awarenesses make me quite certain of the
damage and toxicity of this pollutant. I am hopeful that all those who
read these messages and posted will get actively involved in trying to
stop this hazard. It has been especially bad the past month Jolie
The ''burned rubber'' smell you've noted in Albany is probably coming
from West Berkeley. The Pacific Steel Casting Company at 2nd and Gilman
is a known and notorious violator of air quality standards. The Bay Area
Air Quality Management District has been trying to get Pacific Steel to
abate its emissions problems for years, and things have actually gotten
worse. (I understand that they're working overtime on the Bay Bridge
project these days, so the situation may not get better soon.) The
District just filed another lawsuit last month and I hope they're
successful with it.
In the meantime, there is something you can do! Every time you notice
that noxious smell, you can file a complaint with the Air Quality
Management District at 1-800-334-ODOR. A December 2005 settlement
agreement required PSC to pay an immediate penalty of $3,000 for any day
that the Air District confirmed five odor complaints, to encourage swift
installation of the odor abatement equipment. To date, the Air District
has issued seven Notices of Violation, and PSC has paid those fines
I've called several times in the last few weeks to report the awful
smell coming from Pacific Steel. The folks at Air Quality Management
were really informative, explaining that they have filed public nuisance
reports, sanctions, and now a lawsuit against the company and were
trying to get them to both submit a toxicity report and put in an
abatement system -- neither of which Pacific Steel had so far been
willing to do. HOWEVER, when I called today (it was super stinky this
morning) they happily told me that Pacific Steel had purchased a very
expensive carbon abatement unit and was installing it *now* (should be
done sometime in October), and that they were also allowing for samples
to be taken directly from the stack, all great news. The results of the
toxicology report will eventually be available at www.baaqmd.gov and
probably on the City of Berkeley's website as well. And hopefully no
more smell once they finish installing!
isabel (in Albany)
Sept 2003
We have been curious about a couple of phenomena we experience
from our North Berkeley home. (1) What are those booming noises
we sometimes hear in the evenings? They come in a lengthy series
of distant loud booms, usually on still evenings (or so my
husband observes), and (2) We sometimes smell strong skunklike
smells in the night (but not skunk, more sulphuric). I get all
worked up and think it is evil chemical run-off from some
factory. Anybody have insight about either of these?
Don't know about the noises, but don't be so sure the smell
ain't skunk. There are a fair number around (haven'tyou ever
been eating at Rivoli on Solano when the big one walks up to eat
some of the cat food in the patio?), and I've seen them from
Peralta near the high school to way up on Spruce.
Norm
The boom, boom, booms are indeed fireworks and the skunk-like
smell is, indeed, skunk. There is plenty of wildlife in
Berkeley, not just racoons. We once even saw a deer on our
street and we're not even particularly close to the hills.
Skunks are nocturnal animals, although I have seen them at sunset
from time to time.
Dianna
I smell skunk all the time at my house, and I live on a busy
through street in Berkeley, far from the woods. It's skunk
alright. You can see them in Tilden, they wander downhill too.
That smell is not from a Skunk. A Skunk smell is very
localized. The smell is from industrial pollution. I think its
coming from the foundry near Second and Gillmam Street in
Berkeley. I have friends who live in the area and both have
developed lung problems. It smells like time for a petition to
have the polluter shut down.
bruce
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