Odour complaint received by AEPA at 9:35 a.m. on September 8, 2025. Claystone was notified of this complaint on September 12, 2025 and a response was requested by September 19, 2025.

Complaint:  Caller wished to remain anonymous. The compost facility stinks to high heaven of compost. The smell started 10 minutes ago and is terrible and makes caller want to barf, caller is nauseous, and the smell is nasty. This smell has to go. The source is the same facility as it was in Edmonton who was fined every year and now the source has taken the facility out to this area and there are problems. The source has no right to do this. Smell is going on now.

Claystone findings:

• On the morning of September 8, both compost and landfill operations were fully staffed. No new organic feedstock was received on this day.
• Compost site activity:
  • One mature ASP moved to cure
  • Two-week old ASP flipped from one row to another per standard procedure
  • Two of the 20 ASP rows were empty and awaiting feedstock.
  • All early morning movement of materials delayed until after 10 am due to winds.
• All blowers supplying air to the 20 ASP rows functioning correctly and oxygen values within expected ranges.
• Noted landfill fire took place the evening before this complaint to AEPA.
• 222 Tonnes of stabilized hydrovac slurry was dumped in the landfill from 9:12 a.m. through 10:14 a.m. This material is typically highly anaerobic, with a significant organic content from topsoil and grass/tree roots which have been digested in slurry pits over time. This potentially odorous material may have been the source of or significantly contributed to the complaint filed at 9:35 a.m.
• Ryley septic lagoon has been emitting very strong odours as reported Sep 5.

Other odour-generating activities in area:

• Ditch cleaning at Clean Harbors Class I Landfill, releasing odours of decaying organic material.
• Approximately 500 Tonnes of fresh silage on farm at the Northwest edge of the Village of Ryley.
• Manure spraying and light working of an agricultural field within the Village of Ryley (manure application not commonly done in the fall, especially within Village limits).

It is not clear whether residual landfill fire material, compost material, or the Ryley septic lagoon are the source of this odour complaint, or whether there was another external source responsible. View the full report