Strange Odors Noticed Near Magnolia Bridge

To monitor smells

-- People interested in volunteering to monitor smells near the base of the Magnolia Bridge may write the Magnolia Community Club: P.O. Box 99164, Seattle 98199.

Jim Proctor had more than a usual day's work in mind recently when he boarded a Metro bus in Magnolia.

When the No. 19 turned onto the Magnolia Bridge, leaving behind a quiet neighborhood of sculpted lawns and lovely homes, some passengers eyed Puget Sound, glistening to the south. But Proctor focused on smells slipping through the vents.

Proctor, who's lived in Magnolia more than a year, is one of four residents who've volunteered to help monitor smells some believe come from the industrial complex beneath the bridge.

The Port of Seattle rents space to several firms at Terminal 91, which is beneath part of Magnolia Bridge. Among those firms are a firm that treats and recycles oil and one that supplies fuel to oceangoing ships.

Earlier this week, Proctor volunteered when the Magnolia Community Club sought help recording the time and nature of smells near the bridge. Plans to monitor the smells will be discussed at a public meeting of the club's board at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Magnolia Presbyterian Church, 3051 28th Ave. W.

Proctor said he and his wife, Kathy, periodically have noticed a petroleum smell when they drive across the portion of the bridge immediately before and directly over the industrial area.

``There's no smell this morning,'' the 53-year-old social worker said recently. ``Sometimes, it's pretty strong. I don't think you get as much of a smell on the bus as you do in the car.''

Though Proctor usually rides the bus to work, he and his family often drive across Magnolia Bridge on weekends. He said he's noticed the smell for several months.

Nancy Debaste, Magnolia Community Club president, said the group plans to present its findings to the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, which includes a liaison between the Port of Seattle and Queen Anne and Magnolia residents.

The community club hopes to recruit about a dozen volunteers for the monitoring project. ``It's not considered a crisis,'' Debaste said, ``but it's a problem that, at various times, people are aware of.''

Port of Seattle officials and some tenants at the terminal have been responsive to residents' complaints about smells and industrial noise, said Mark Reis, the port's director of marine policy and business development.

``No one denies that there's a smell,'' he said, adding that the informal monitoring may help identify the source. Thus far, he said, no one has been able to pinpoint consistent times the smells occur. ``Sometimes you smell it, sometimes you don't.''

Kate Tate, Chempro spokeswoman, said the firm has made several attempts to contact one resident who'd complained to the community club about the smell. Chempro, which rents from the port, is an oil treatment and recycling firm.

``We really want to hear what the nature of the complaint is,'' Tate said. A Chempro representative regularly attends advisory committee meetings, she said. ``As soon as we find out, we'll look into it,'' Tate said. ``But it's premature to decide that this is a smell from Chempro.''

Janet Anderson, who recently raised the issue with the community club, acknowledged that she had not taken the time to return Chempro's calls. ``They have indicated that they would like to follow through,'' said Anderson, a real-estate agent and 15-year Magnolia resident.

Pacific Northern Oil Corp., a ship-fuel supplier, also sends representatives to advisory committee meetings, said Bruce Merrell, the firm's president. Pacific Northern rents from Chempro.

A spokesman for the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency said the agency had no record of complaints about odors at either Chempro or Pacific Northern in recent years.

Proctor said he worries that the smell ``means something is getting into the atmosphere. If I can smell it, something's happening.''