DEAR SUN SPOTS: The smell in Auburn (Aug. 29 query) is coming from sewer manholes and lift stations, caused by discharge at VPS on Hotel Road. — Lee via email

ANSWER: Several people mentioned VPS or Virgin Pulp to Sun Spots, but she couldn’t find any listing for them. Finally, after extensive searching online, she found an old railroad newsletter (atlanticnortheast.com/onl/iss/i041220_101500.pdf) that explained why VPS is now Cascades Auburn Fiber.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Unfortunately, this odor is no mystery. I have lived on Hotel Road for many years and experienced this smell all of those years. The Auburn Water and Sewerage District and Maine Environmental Protection Agency are both very aware of this odor and have been for years.

This odor is coming from Cascade paper on Lewiston Junction Road, which takes recycled paper, removes the ink and makes a pulp product out of it. The chemicals used in this process are supposedly treated and released into the sewerage system. The smell is noticeable near the bridge where the nearest substation is located.

I have made several contacts with AWSD and EPA. I have been told to keep calendars notating what days/hours I smell the odor, to show up at meetings at the mill and city meetings, etc. I’ve been given many reasons and excuses, many times blaming it on the mill for not using proper treatments and the farm down the road.

The only explanation that made any sense came from a water district employee in an off-hand remark describing the fact that the substation is really not big enough to handle the amount of sewerage being pumped through. He went on to say that the mill uses a lot of water (revenue for the water district), so they try to not make too much trouble.

It is my understanding that a charcoal filter of some kind would solve some of the problem, but it comes down to the almighty dollar like anything else. Apparently, the city monitors the mill’s treatment of their chemicals, but nothing has ever changed.

Although the smell comes from the mill, I place the ultimate blame on the water district and the EPA in Augusta for not truly doing something about it. All they have done through the years is talk circles around me with big words and insincerity that I can see through.

The smell has never gone away, and I’ve given up on doing anything more, at least with the water district or EPA. I have not called anyone again in the last two years, and not one person has ever followed up with me to see if the issue has been resolved.

If it were somebody prominent who lived here having to smell rotten eggs while having a barbecue outdoors, or experiencing the odor coming up through my drain while taking a shower, or perhaps while sleeping downstairs in my split-level home, I might have enough money to hire a lawyer or move. Instead I just keep getting my intelligence insulted.

I guess it’s easier to just blame the farm down the road. Even my children know the difference between the smell of manure and rotten-smelling chemicals in the sewer. Personally, I’d rather smell cow manure all day long. — No Name via email

ANSWER: Sun Spots spoke at length with John Storer, superintendent of AWSD, and Jerrod Bentley, environmental engineer for Cascades Auburn Fiber, who are actively working on this difficult problem. John also emailed:

“Up until late 2013, Cascades had been pretreating their discharged waste by raising the pH of the effluent. The chemical sodium hydroxide was dosed to raise the pH to a target level of 10. The elevated pH was supposed to help prevent the formation of hydrogen sulfide gas. The process did not prove to be very effective.

“Beginning in late 2013, Cascades began experimenting with a new pretreatment process that utilized the dosing of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent, and an engineering study concluded that the hydrogen peroxide may be successful in reducing odors by oxidizing any hydrogen sulfide gas to elemental forms of sulfur or sulfate. This would help eliminate any odors emanating from the sewer collection system.

“The results have been reasonably promising, and we are trying to monitor the actual levels of odors produced via an air sensor that is installed in one of our pump stations. We have tried to correlate odor complaints to our air sensor readings and also to process changes at the Cascades mill. It has been an evolving process.

“We are also exploring carbon bag filters that could possibly be installed at our pump stations to help minimize issues. Atmospheric conditions such as a hot and muggy day with no wind seem to cause the most complaints.”

As for the employee who told you that the pump station is not large enough, John said that is not true:

“That sewer pump station (referred to by the reader as a substation) was replaced in 2004 and is far and away our largest pump station. It was designed to accommodate in excess of 2 million gallons per day of flow. It has three separate pumps for redundancy and also has two separate wetwell chambers.

“On a day of high discharge from Cascades Auburn Fiber the mill is not even reaching 10 percent of that pump station’s capacity. The station was deliberately sized for high flows in case the city of Auburn saw any expansion of industrial parks around the airport.”

Finally, John wanted to stress that your complaints are not falling on deaf ears. He offered his email, jstorer@awsd.org, and cellphone, 207-754-3176, for further comments.

He said that while the odors will probably never be completely eradicated, the mill continues to explore options to curb them, as does the AWSD.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: There is no mystery to the obnoxious smell in south Auburn. At the airport area, Auburn Cascades Fiber did a cost reduction which drastically reduced its water usage. This also caused sulfides to be more concentrated, which causes the stink.

Management promised to remedy it several years ago. Near the bridge the problem is with the sewerage pumping station. AWSD has tried to fix it several times without success.

Imagine being a businessperson thinking of locating here, landing at the airport and getting that welcome. Then proceeding into town only to get an even worse welcome at the bridge. Probably going to turn around. — Gary via email

ANSWER: John Storer said that the water-reduction measure was temporary and is no longer in place.

He also noted that the plant employs local workers (nearly 50 people) and “Cascades Auburn Fiber is far and away the largest customer for the Auburn Sewer District. Out of the thousands of people we service, Cascades makes up nearly 20 percent of our operating revenue. Having a large customer helps cover our overall operating expenses.”

HI, SUN SPOTS: I worked in the area referred to by No Name in your column on Aug. 29 for almost 10 years and for the first six or seven had not encountered the odor in question. It later became more obvious and frequent, and I asked questions about it.

I have no proof but think it is hydrogen sulfide, which I remember from high school science and chemistry classes. It is one of the substances that give rotten eggs their reputation. Here are some links to information: http://tinyurl.com/c7eh6wv and http://tinyurl.com/p73e78a and http://tinyurl.com/ld6ua9

Although there may be natural sources of these emissions, they are also produced by certain manufacturing processes. Paper mills have spent large sums to combat sulfide emissions, which several decades ago could be picked up many miles away when winds were right. — No Name via email

ANSWER: The issue is indeed hydrogen sulfide. Sun Spots remembers that when she first moved to Maine she often smelled it. Now the smell is mostly gone, but so are many of the jobs. Hard to say which is worse.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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