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Rangers sniff out odors at big farms
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- There's a new defense against odors that waft from factory farms. It's the Nasal Rangers -- a group of state employees specially trained to sniff out smells and determine which of them are too stinky. Their findings will be part of a two-year study to help lawmakers decide if the state needs new standards for air quality, including odor limits, near livestock confinements. People complaining of odor from these farms often are concerned about the effects of such gases as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, said Brian Button, a Department of Natural Resources spokesman. "People have been concerned about these types of operations ... for many years now," he said. "What we're trying to do, is determine if it is a widespread and pervasive problem." Air quality rules crafted by regulators were set aside after several groups, including the Iowa League of Cities and Iowa Farm Bureau, complained they were too broad. Iowa lawmakers granted a two-year delay to study whether odor and gases have an impact on human health and the environment before considering new rules. The Iowa DNR has certified 34 odor inspectors trained by St. Croix Sensory, a Lake Elmo, Minnesota-based laboratory that specializes in odor analysis and taste and sensory testing. Training them cost about $15,500, with another $66,000 spent on equipment. Nasal Rangers must have a good, but not too sensitive, sense of smell, said Charles McGinley, technical director and co-owner of St. Croix Sensory, which has certified more than 2,000 inspectors throughout the world. Recruits are tested, using a series of felt-tipped markers containing varying levels of the chemical butenol. Blindfolded, the recruit must be able to pick the middle of the spectrum. The test is repeated three times for accuracy, McGinley said. Once selected, the inspector gets a few days of training using an olfactometer, a device that resembles a radar gun held to the nose, and then receives a certificate and Nasal Ranger patch. "Yes, it's humorous, but the training is serious and a graduate has learned skills and new appreciation for the value of their nose's observations," McGinley said. Each inspector must pass monthly sensitivity tests to make sure illness or allergies don't impede his or her sense of smell. Inspectors that don't pass are barred from the field until their noses are back up to snuff. The olfactometer helps inspectors determine the level of stink. The instrument dilutes the outdoor air seven times with filtered air. If the odor can still be detected after dilution, it's considered excessive. The 7-to-1 ratio adopted for research in Iowa is the standard used by other states, Button said. Over the past year, he said, only 30 of the more than 315 odor readings exceeded that standard. Some farmers were told of the readings, but because the state currently has no legal threshold for odor, no action was required, Button said. Iowans can call 1-888-AIR-2003 if they have complaints about odor from nearby livestock confinements. Inspectors will take a measurement to add to the research that will be presented to lawmakers, Button said. The inspectors, who work out of five or six DNR field offices, won't turn up their noses at the job. "It's not necessarily a glamorous task when they are out there doing that, but it is necessary, vital work," he said. "We are fulfilling our mission." Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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