(EIGHT MILE, Ala.) - Mobile Gas could be moving closer to eliminating a foul odor in Eight Mile, that's according to ADEM.
The source of the smell is near Cochran Road. The odor is coming from the chemical mercaptan.
Residents in the area say it's causing major headaches, among other health problems.
Mobile Gas has installed an active aeration system that uses an air compressor to make the mercaptan in the groundwater volatilize into the air where the vapors are then captured underneath a tent structure.
Once the vapors are captured underneath the tent structure the vapors are treated using granular activated carbon before the treated air is then released.
Wednesday morning, ADEM sent a team of geologists to Eight Mile to examine the new odor abatement equipment recently installed by Mobile Gas.
The agency believes the first step to quell the smell is already working.
"According to our geologists, they did not detect any odors in the vicinity of the Beaver Pond which in the past has been a very strong source of the odors. So, we feel like the odor abatement measures that have been installed are being effective, but we're going to continue to monitor and provide oversight and make sure that those measures are doing what they're supposed to do in abating those odors and making the living conditions much better for the residents of Eight Mile," says Scott Hughes with ADEM.
Mobile Gas is still under a deadline to submit a second round of groundwater testing.
