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HomeNewsArchivesDEODORIZER BEING PUMPED TO COVER ENIGHED ODOR

DEODORIZER BEING PUMPED TO COVER ENIGHED ODOR

March 30, 2004 – The Port Authority is now pumping an aerosol deodorant into the air in an effort to cover up the foul smell at the Enighed Pond commercial port work site.
The odor became an issue in late February ago as crews dredged the pond floor. On Tuesday, St. John Administrator Julien Harley said, the stench was so bad that Julius E. Sprauve School students were sent home from school.
No one answered the telephone at the school on Tuesday afternoon, and no one could be reached at the Education Department for more information.
Elaine Penn, who lives near Enighed Pond, said the odor comes and goes but is definitely stronger when dredging is under way. "This morning, it was the normally nasty smell," she said on Tuesday.
Penn and Harley were both philosophical about the problem, saying the smell is just something everyone has to endure if they want the Enighed Pond port project to get done. "But I hope they get done quick," Penn added.
In a Port Authority release, engineering director Dale Gregory said the dredging is expected to continue for another three to four months. He also said further delays could set the project back.
On Monday, Gregory said, the Port Authority borrowed two portable foggers from the Public Works Department to spray deodorant into the air. The foggers are running while the dredging is in progress.
Acknowledging that there is no guarantee this will solve the problem, Gregory said: "We will continue to monitor the dredging process and the effectiveness of the methods we have implemented."
Each of the foggers pumps half a gallon of deodorizer per hour. They are being placed in the area where the dredged material discharges and can run for up to 10 hours without refilling.
In previous efforts to minimize the foul smell, Port Authority personnel moved the discharge line for the dredged material closer to the water so the material was less open to the air. They also moved the discharge line farther from a church and a private school in the area which were strongly affected by the odor.
Gregory said the Port Authority still intends to finish the $16 million commercial port project on schedule. Work began in April 2003 and is scheduled to up by July.

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