A Barrio Logan neighborhood is getting relief from a noxious smell that comes from a Newton Avenue biofuels plant.
New Leaf Biofuel is operating a filter system that uses activated carbon to neutralize the smell inside and around the facility.
It was a welcome break for Barrio Logan resident Maria Fernanda-Corral who lives across the street from the plant at a senior apartment complex.
“Today we’re very thankful that it’s a good day,” Fernanda-Corral said. “That way we can come out on the patio. We can do our plants. We can even sit for a little while or take (in the) sun.”
That hasn’t been the case the last two years. She said sometimes the smell was so strong she nearly vomited.
The stench forced her to stay inside, even during very hot spells.
“We couldn’t stand it anymore,” she said.
New Leaf Biofuel turns used cooking oil into diesel fuel that contains 80% less carbon than its petroleum counterpart.
But the process of filtering the cooking oil and turning it into fuel also creates the noxious smell that’s blanketed the neighborhood for more than a year.
The company sealed its factory building and installed the new filter in an effort to comply with an Air Pollution Control Board abatement order
“Our real hope is that this is relief from whatever smell they were getting and it will enable them to live their lives as normal without any interruption from anything we do,” said Chris White, COO of New Leaf Biofuel.
Air quality regulators gave the company until Dec. 9 to have the system running. It went online almost a week early.
Neighborhood advocates are cautiously optimistic that the activated carbon filter system will keep the smell from irritating people who live here.
“We have this odor control system installed and it’s a huge step for the neighborhood,” Nicholas Paul from the Environmental Health Coalition said. “But our work here is not done. We need to continue to evaluate. We need to continue to monitor how effective this system is.”
The San Diego County Air Pollution Control hearing board meets this week to get an update.
Regulators have already scheduled monthly updates on the situation through March.
If the situation gets worse, regulators could push for improvements.
