I have heard from the residents near an existing AD plant that the odour is intolerable; I understand that the malodour is caused not by the AD plant itself but from the lagoon that stores the by-product. The residents that live near the existing lagoon all report frequent malodour in most wind conditions that makes using their garden impossible, also headaches and a loss of trade to the local vineyard. I also have heard reports that the environment agency is investigating the plant after two spills contaminated a fresh water stream. My concerns are that the business is only concerned with profit and getting its hands on the FITs As a champion of all things green and renewable I find myself torn between something promising and ground-breaking and on the other hand peoples life’s are being ruined, I point to Sue Roaf article on Alliethesia (page 4 GBM) I can’t imagine what they must go through every time the lagoons get filled or the wind changes direction.

I would appreciate your thought on this problem, should there be such a malodour from the lagoons? Is there any solution for smelly lagoons? If this is the norm and all lagoons smell then we should be very careful about encouraging AD plant on every spare square inch of our green and pleasant land, fast forward 50 years and we are one big AD plant taking rubbish from Europe like a giant smelling compost heap?

yes, DHD but with goverment pushing this sort of tech do the planners have any choice but to rubber stamp "APROVAL" on all application? this is my current concern as a local AD plant plans on expanion with two new lagoons the closest of which is only 500M from my home...

for more info on AD try page 16 of current Green building mag.

Posted By: SteveZWhere is the offending AD plant?

somerset

Posted By: SteveZbut I don't remember any ponds or lagoons there. The overwhelming impression I took away was the effort to keep any 'pongs' within the buildings and treatment/storage areas.

As you say the area of initial treatment seem well protected against the release of smells its the lagoons that store the by-product that is then spread over fields as fertilizer that cause the smell. these lagoons can by sited some distance from the treatment plant and the sludge is then pumped into the lagoons. that may be why you never seen the?

i have just recieved an email stating that the application has been withdrawn, i suppose due to the local out-cry? i have mixed feeling on this, as i have stated i want this to work. Far better to treat the mountains of waste than bury it, but i do think it needs careful monitoring especially with the FITs payments available, this can encorage fast growth with little responsabilty, now where have we seen that before?