Odour is typically the most common reason for environmental complaints received by councils and regulatory agencies. Negative impacts from odours are generally nuisance-based and caused by a range of factors for which there is no simple assessment formula.
Assessment of odours and investigation of odour nuisance is therefore a complex process requiring specialist skills. Air Quality Professionals' Principal Air Quality Consultant, Tracy Freeman, has been providing clients with odour assessment and management advice for 20 years, and has been a key player in the development of odour assessment science in Australasia.
Air Quality Professionals provides specialist expertise in the translation of best practice odour assessment science into practical understanding of actual and potential/future odour impacts from industrial, municipal and agricultural activities.
Services provided in investigation of odour issues include the following:
■ Scoping of odour issues to determine extent of
impacts and appropriate investigation strategies
■ Strategic “long view” odour control
improvement advice
■ Stakeholder, community and regulatory
consultation
■ Set up and review of meteorological monitoring
■ Odour measurement at source, and community
odour surveys and diaries.
■ Atmospheric dispersion modelling
■ Benchmarking/validation of model results
against known or measured ambient impacts
■ Impact risk assessment interpreted from model
results
■ Emission control equipment options, trialling,
and performance evaluation
■ Environmental Impact Statements
■ Works Approvals, Development & Planning
Approvals
■ Licence conditions negotiation and variations
■ Buffer distance recommendations and
Environmental Significance Overlays
■ Reverse amenity impacts and land
development conflicts
■ Policy planning and consultation
■ Independent peer review of assessments
prepared by others
■ Credible and experienced expert witness
evidence
■ Research and training
■ Management Plans
We have experience in assessment of odour discharges from the following types of industries and municipal activities:
wastewater treatment
solid wastes
intensive factory farming
industrial manufacturing
primary production byproducts
food and beverage production
land development
regulatory
■ municipal or industrial
■ conveyance & treatment
■ biosolids
■ co-gen/waste to energy
■ composting
■ refuse transfer stations
■ landfills
■ waste to energy systems
■ poultry meat/layers
■ piggeries, dairy, mushrooms
■ effluent/litter treatment & disposal
■ chemical, latex, rubber, solvents
■ asphalt
■ fertiliser
■ pulp & paper, wood processing
■ meat processing, waste treatment
■ rendering, gelatine
■ fellmongery/tanning
■ cereals, cooking/frying smells
■ dairy and vegetable wastes
■ brewing, coffee
■ pet food (wet or dry)
■ reverse amenity impacts
■ neighbour conflicts/concerns
■ buffer distances
■ licence reviews/approvals
■ evidence for prosecutions/defences
■ policy research and background
