Mystery smell keeps returning

Seal Beach officials hope to have a South Coast Air Quality Management District representative to discuss the onoing odor issue at the Sept. 11 City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Patrick Gallegos told the Sun Monday.

However, as of press time the AQMD Media Office was unable to confirm that someone from the air regulation agency would attend the meeting. The foul odor that offends local nostrils at irregular intervals returned to Old Town last weekend. According to Kim White, an AQMD spokesperson, the agency received eight odor complaints between 7:18 a.m. and 11:27 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26. Six of those complaints came from people in Seal Beach and two came from people in Long Beach. The air district also recieved seven odor complaints from Huntington Beach on Monday, Aug. 28, and 15 complaints from Long Beach on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Earlier this month AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said traces of petroleum compounds had been found in air samples taken in Seal Beach. At the time, he said offshore oil tankers were considered one possible source of the mysterious smell.