It is very important that
we document the odor problems we experience. The most effective way
is to promptly follow the instructions
below to phone in a report when you detect the odor. This gives
the health department a chance to investigate and take quantitative
measurements while the odor is still present. However, if you choose
not to phone in every odor event, you may keep an odor
log which can be faxed or phoned in to the EPA after the fact.
It is important to be thorough and include all the necessary information,
so using the forms provided in the Forms
Library is recommended.
Odor Complaint System - Warren Township Hydrogen Sulfide Investigation
Ohio EPA's Division of Air Pollution Control has worked closely
with local authorities to develop a coordinated complaint system
to serve the following purposes:
- Provide Warren area citizens with the proper contact numbers
to report hydrogen sulfide odors;
- Alert local responders of potential health threats so that prompt
action can be taken to investigate odors and ensure citizen safety;
and
- Gather the information needed for Ohio EPA to evaluate potential
odor sources.
In most cases, the local health department will be the primary
responder to the odor complaints. Using the numbers provided below,
complainants are to contact the appropriate health department based
upon their jurisdiction. Upon receipt of a complaint, the primary
responder will:
- Whenever possible, immediately investigate the reported odor
using a combustible gas meter;
- Contact the local emergency responder if the preliminary investigation
indicates an imminent health threat may exist; and
- Record the complaint information, actions taken, and investigation
findings. This will be faxed weekly to Ohio EPA for additional
review. Ohio EPA will compile the complaint information and compare
it with available monitoring data, weather data, and other information
to detect any correlations that may identify the odor source.
To Report an Odor
- If you are located within the city
of Warren, contact the Warren City Health Department at (330)
841-2541 Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 a.m.
and 4 p.m. During all other hours, dial (330) 394-2521 and press
4 after the message to reach the Warren City Police Dispatch.
They will relay the information to the health department to investigate.
- If you are located outside Warren
city limits, contact the Ohio EPA complaint line at 330-963-1212
or toll-free at 800-686-6330 ext. 212. You will hear a prompt
after which you should leave a message with the details of your
complaint. Please include as much detail as possible, ideally
including the date, time, place, kind of smell, wind direction
and weather conditions. If you do not have all those details just
leave as much as possible. If you detect odors that you feel are
life threatening, dial 911.
- To assist investigators in gathering accurate information on
the source and strength of the odor, complaints should be phoned
in to the primary responder at the time the odor is detected.
However, Ohio EPA has developed an odor log for citizens who choose
not to call during every odor event. Anyone using this method
to report odors should complete the form as thoroughly as possible
and send it to the listed Ohio EPA contact person. Please note
that although this information will be shared with the primary
responders, it may be too late for them to conduct field surveillance
and obtain hydrogen sulfide readings. The information may still
be helpful in Ohio EPA's evaluation of potential odor sources.
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