Odour complaint received by AEPA on September 24, 2025. Claystone was notified of this complaint on September 25, 2025.

Complaint: Caller reporting odor coming from Claystone Waste Facility in Ryley.  Compost facility has been terrible twice this week (overnight on Sept 20 and Sept 23, 2025). Impairs callers ability to be sit on the deck, work outside. Cant escape the odor or open windows in the house. Absolutely revolting and impacting callers enjoyment of their property. Ongoing now. It is a nauseating disgusting smell. Odor has been on and off since yesterday evening, and odor often gets worse in the evening. Odor rated a 2/10 currently, but at its worst overnight 100/10. Described as decaying odor. Stench of rotting animal, food. There is a slight breeze blowing from that direction. There is always a smell from the facility. Caller is less than a mile and a half away, right in Ryley.

Claystone findings:

• Compost and landfill operations were fully staffed and operating withing normal parameters for the period Sep 20 – 24.
• Multiple daily odour inspection reports confirm there was no odour being generated by the compost operation during this time.
• No breakdowns or other process issues occurred in the compost operation during this time period.
• All material on ASPs or within cure windrows were within nominal parameters.
• Feed stock received during this time was low in odour and in comparatively excellent shape vs. that received earlier in the summer.
• Multiple daily odour reports starting September 5 highlight extremely offensive odours of various types emanating from the Ryley sewage lagoon adjacent to the Claystone property.
• Ryley’s CAO was informed of the strength of the odour coming from the lagoon and attended in person, along with Ryley Public Works staff. They confirmed the lagoon was emitting extreme levels of odour and posted on social media to inform local residents of the situation.
• Large amount of silage and an 80-100 head (estimated) herd of cattle brought freshly home on an agricultural property at the Northwest of Ryley.

Given the observed low-odour state of Claystone operations, the variable direction of the wind across the referenced time period, the odorous state of the Ryley sewage lagoon, and multiple agricultural properties in the area putting up silage and spreading manure, it is highly likely the complainant is mis-reporting multiple sources of naturally occurring, agriculturally-derived, or sewage-derived odour as being attributable to Claystone operations when this is verifiably untrue. View the full report