Something is in the air that’s leaving residents holding their breath.
    Intermittently, the area along 4 Avenue SW has been plagued by a strong odour emanating from the sewage lines  along it.
    The Town of Drumheller is taking action to clear the air. Within the month, the Town hopes to meet with, what they believe to be the ultimate source of the smell, the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
    “Working together we’ll pick a solution. It will never completely eliminate the problem, but we want to reduce it to a level that’s acceptable to the people living in the area,” said CAO Ray Romanetz at the January 7 meeting of the Committee of the Whole.
    The Town of Drumheller believes that in times of low usage, the sewage from the museum is left to stagnate, at which time hydrogen sulfide, what residents are smelling, is produced. The gas then travels down the sewer line and is released into the air.
    Last year in June, the Town replaced a section of the sewer line along 4 Avenue SW that was reverse graded. Prior to the replacement, sewage had to flow uphill, which resulted in times when it would cease to flow and therefore begin to release hydrogen sulfide.
    “It’s certainly improved the flow of sewage along the line. There were also a number of steps taken along with that, such as improvements to the forced main and a relief valve. All of this has, to some degree, reduced the hydrogen sulfide problem,” said Romanetz.
    The Town also embarked on a pilot project to add products to the sewage to help reduce the smell. Results indicated the desired effect, but the cost is thought to be too high.
    “It worked, but, from our standpoint, was too costly. It might be something we approach from a seasonal basis,” said Al Kendrick, Director of Infrastructure Services.
    The presence of hydrogen sulfide can be smelled at extremely low concentrations (0.00047 ppm) and smells like rotten eggs. As the concentration increases, so do the effects. Eye irritation can begin to occur between 10 to 20 ppm. Eye damage between 50 to 100 ppm.
    Sense of smell can disappear starting at 100 ppm. A pulmonary edema, and possibly death, can occur above 320 ppm. Lethal concentration begins at 800 ppm. A single breath of concentrations over 1,000 ppm can cause an immediate collapse with loss of breathing.
    Concentrations measured during the study in Nacmine on average saw concentrations of 2 ppm.
    Aside from health, the Town is concerned constant exposure to hydrogen sulfide will erode steel and concrete.
    “In very low concentrations, people will pick up the odour. Even at concentrations as low as that, there are all kinds of issues relating to erosion...it completely breaks down concrete,” said Romanetz.
    As a temporary solution to combat the smell, the Town has sealed manholes along 4 Avenue SW.
    The same concerns about erosion warrant prompt action according to Councillor Doug Stanford.
    “I don’t know if we should leave them closed for too long. It’s attacking the vent lines in  these houses. It will corrode,” said Stanford. “This should be a high priority.”
    If all goes well, the Town hopes to meet with the museum and come up with a solution.
    “Now is the time to do a detailed review and come up with a long term solution,” said Romanetz.

Drumheller man sentenced for drug possession

    A Drumheller man caught with marijuana, having just recently completed serving a sentence for possession for the purposes of trafficking, received a $1,000 fine in provincial court in Drumheller.
    Jesse Bulechowsky appeared in Provencal court in Drumheller on Friday, January 11. He pleaded guilty to simple possession of marijuana.
    On October 19, 2011 Bulechowsky’s car was stopped and police discovered 8 grams of marijuana and $1,120 cash. While he was originally charged with possession for the purposes of trafficking, the federal prosecutor agreed to proceed with the lesser and included charge of simple possession.
    Bulechowsky had been sentenced in October of 2009 for possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking, and had been released shortly before he was arrested. He said while he did not own the marijuana, he was in possession. 
    He was fined $1,000 and the marijuana and cash was forfeited to the Crow.

Youth sentenced to 12 months probation

    A Drumheller youth is facing a year of probation after pleading guilty to a number of crimes.
    The young man, who cannot be identified due to the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act made an appearance in provincial court in Drumheller on December 14. He pleaded guilty to assault and mischief stemming from an incident on September 15.
    The court heard how he and another person kicked in the door of a residence. They then went on to a second residence down the hall and there he assaulted another individual by striking him in the head.
    He also pleaded guilty topossession of stolen property, obstructing a police officer and failing to comply with conditions of his probation and a breach of his release.
    On October 12, an RCMP officer observed the youth driving an Oldsmobile that had been reported stolen. The RCMP activated his emergency equipment and stopped the motor vehicle.
 When the officer told the youth he was under arrest, he ran from the police. He was apprehended later on. At the time of the offense he was bound by a probation order and recognizance.
    The youth was remanded for a short time following these offenses and the court heard that it appeared to have made an impact. It had been an eye opener, and he does not want to go back. This is evident in the improvements he appeared to have made. The court issued a new 12-month probation order with a number of conditions.