Advertiser seeks answers to cause of pungent odor
By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — A terrible odor, which permeated part of the city of Caro on Monday, created a lot of debate as to the culprit of the problem.
Some residents point to the factories along the river, the settling ponds, the sewage plant, and river muck from low water levels.
The Tuscola County Advertiser contacted the city of Caro, Michigan Sugar Company, Poet Biorefining, and the Department of Environmental Quality, and the problem wasn’t able to be pinpointed with accuracy.
“We’ve gotten some odor complaints and had someone in the area Monday checking on it,” said DEQ District Supervisor of Air Quality Control Chris Hair. “To him, it seemed like the odor could have been coming from Michigan Sugar’s waste-water ponds, but we can’t say for sure.”
After talking with some others who are familiar with the occasional odors of Michigan Sugar and learning Monday’s smell being an unusual “stench,” Hair said more investigation is expected to be done if the problem continues.
As for Caro’s waste-water treatment plant, upgrades were done seven years ago and that helped address odor issues, said city Manager Jarrad Olson.
And Poet General Manager Dave Gloer says it’s not the ethanol plant.
“We don’t emit or disperse anything into the river or environment. Nothing leaves our plant,” said Gloer, noting he thinks the odor is from the exposed muck in the river.
Because part of the privately owned 109-year old dam on the Cass River failed mid April, the water level has gone down greatly.
Tuscola County Emergency Services Director Steve Anderson said he thinks the smell is from the river.
“There is a lot of muck that’s exposed now that hasn’t before,” he said.
Exposed river muck can potentially develop a hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells similar to very rotten eggs.
Michigan Sugar Company Media Marketing Director Ray VanDriessche said he talked to operators at the factory in Caro, and it doesn’t seem the smell is associated with Michigan Sugar.
However, Hair noted the DEQ has also received odor complaints in the area of Michigan Sugar’s factory in Bay City.
“At this point, we don’t want to jump to conclusion. If it smell continues, we will investigate again,” said Hair.
Whatever is causing the odor, it was so bad Monday it made some people gag. On Tuesday, the odor wasn’t anywhere near as bad. Thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday, brought the river level up again so that may have helped.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.