Rutherford anti-stink campaigners have rejoiced after the area’s notorious smell has died off.
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Some residents claim that the stink has gone away since Truegain waste refinery temporarily shut down earlier this year.
Truegain Pty Ltd, which trades as Australian Waste Oil Refineries, has not responded to requests for comment when contacted by The Mercury.
Truegain had its Environment Protection Licence suspended by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on April 1 this year.
The suspension came after the EPA discovered that the facility had been temporarily shut down by the operator due to the disconnection of natural gas supplies to the premises and disconnection of trade waste discharge by Hunter Water.
Under the EPA’s licence suspension, Truegain was prohibited from receiving and processing wastes at the premises.
Steve Jordan, a member of the former Rutherford Air Quality Liaison Committee, said he had spoken to a few people in the area who said they had not recently experienced the smell that was usually particularly pungent during the winter months.
Aberglasslyn resident and fellow member of the former Rutherford Air Quality Liaison Committee, Ramona Cocco agreed that the smell had completely disappeared since Truegain closed.
“There has been absolutely none, and it has been absolutely wonderful,” Ms Cocco said.
“It’s just been a real turnaround.”
Ms Cocco said she even took a drive past Truegain’s Racecourse Road site about a week ago, which she said used to “always smell,” and couldn’t get a whiff of anything.
“It would come into your car whether your windows were up [or not],” she said.
“It was unbearable at times.
“But there is absolutely nothing.”
Harvey Norman Rutherford franchisee Nick Swanson also said he had not experienced any problems for the past few months.
Mr Swanson has been vocal in the past about the issue, and even acquired a smell sampler from the EPA to use when strange odours were in the air.
But the franchisee said he has had no reason to use it in recent months.
“It’s been amazing,” he said.
“I’m very, very happy.
“It has been a much more pleasurable experience being in the Rutherford area.”
An EPA spokesperson confirmed there had “been a significant reduction in odour complaints in the area since Truegain ceased operations.”
Since Truegain’s licence was suspended, the EPA has received a total of 15 complaints from the community regarding industrial type odours in the Rutherford area, compared to 113 that were received during the same period in 2015.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison’s office has received no complaints about the problem since early May.
An investigation was conducted by the EPA and Rutherford Air Quality Liaison Committee in 2013 to identify the cause of the problem.
The results found that Fulton Hogan asphalt plant, Atlantic Pacific Foods, and Wax Converters had potential to emit odours that may be experienced at levels above the odour guideline criteria within the surrounding residential areas, when operating under normal operating conditions.
But the smell continued to plague the area even after the EPA issued a prevention notice to Fulton Hogan and Wax Converters to minimise the generation of odour.
The investigation report also found that Truegain, along with Transpacific Industrial waste oil refinery, had the potential to emit odours that may be experienced at levels above the odour guideline criteria if the site specific pollution control measures are not operating effectively.
Truegain’s suspension will remain in place until the licencee can demonstrate reconnection to gas supply.
If the licence suspension is lifted Truegain will be required to complete a Mandatory Environmental Audit so the EPA can review the operations, plant and equipment and identify any necessary improvements to ensure the premises operates in an environmentally satisfactory manner.
Ms Cocco said if the smell returns to Rutherford she would be “very disappointed.”
“I’d be devastated,” she said.
“It’s not just an odour issue, it’s a health issue.”
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Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
