The mysterious offensive odor that has been sporadically bothering coastal cities for two years returned to Seal Beach Monday, Sept. 11. Firefighters assigned to Seal Beach collected air samples Monday that will be tested by the South Coast Air Quality Management District as part of the ongoing investigation of the coastal odor mystery.
“In fact, today was the first sample we got,” said Steve Chafe, a paramedic at Orange County Fire Authority Station 44 on Central Avenue. According to Chafe, Station 44 is the only OCFA station participating in the program that has fire personnel collecting air samples for the Air Quality District to test. Huntington Beach and Long Beach fire personnel are also participating.
“Our job is to collect air samples and give them to AQMD,” Chafe said.
That same day, the Air Quality District dispatched two inspectors to investigate an odor, according to agency spokesman Patrick Chandler. He also said the AQMD received 30 complaints about the odor.
It was first reported on social media around 12:30 a.m., but the odor also offended local nostrils early Monday afternoon.
Assistant City Manager Patrick Gallegos said the city made a complaint to AQMD Thursday, Sept. 14.
The odor has been bothering residents of coastal cities for about two years, according to the AQMD webpage devoted to the investigation. To visit the page, go to http://www.aqmd.gov/home/regulations/compliance/coastal-area-odor-complaint-response-information.
The odor incidents have been particularly bad this summer.Various Seal Beach residents have speculated that the odor comes from offshore oil wells, fracking, and offshore ships. The odor incidents have occurred at different times of day and been observed in different areas. In late July, AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said compounds had been found in air samples collected in Seal Beach. Some Air Quality District officials suspect oil tankers at sea might be one possible source of the smell.
Earlier this month, two Seal Beach residents asked air regulators to install air samplers in the Old Town and Hill areas to help identify the cause of the foul odor.
According to the AQMD website, the air agency is “Continuing to perform surveillance along the shoreline between Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and Long Beach with a FLIR [forward looking infrared] camera to potentially identify sources venting to the atmosphere.”
According to the website, the agency is also continuing to investigate odor complaints and working with members of coastal communities to collect air samples when a foul odor is in the air. When an AQMD inspector responds to an odor complaint, the inspector must smell the odor in the presence of a witness and then identify the source of the smell before issuing a violation notic. To report an odor complaint, call 1-800-CUT-SMOG or visit http://www3.aqmd.gov/webappl/complaintsystemonline/NewComplaint.aspx.
