Published: February 09, 2007 10:37 am            

Time for the city to act on odor complaints

When I picked up my paper Jan. 25 and read the “Odor Complaints Decrease” headline, I almost had a stroke.

Maybe the complaints have decreased, but certainly not the odor. It is much worse than in previous years. What good does it do to call the hotline? I have called over and again, all to no avail. Finally I gave up and stopped. Other callers have given up also. Nothing is ever done. A slap on the wrist to million-dollar corporations is nothing. I have called councilmen, the city, Archer Daniels Midland. Nothing! One city official said to me, “what do you want us to do, shut them down?”

I have taken verbal surveys of people shopping at various stores. Every last one of them had very negative and graphic comments.

I talked to one employee at Home Depot. He said he moved here from Davenport and was going to move again because the stench was something he couldn’t live with.

All we hear about is Clinton’s economic woes. Clinton will never grow or prosper until something is done about the smell. Look at the nice Eagle store on Lincoln Way, and the empty Jack’s. How long have they been empty? Someone told me a friend of hers was involved in a company planning on buying the old Jack’s and opening a business. One of the days they were there and the wind came out of the south — the plans were scrapped.

Yes, there are days with no smell. But who would want to locate somewhere that when you walk outside you get physically ill? Anything that smells that bad has to be harmful to breathe!

I live in a neighborhood up off the bluff. We have lived here for nine years. The first eight there was no smell, now almost every time you go outside when the wind is out of the south you get hit in the face with it. My sister was here for Christmas from Oklahoma, she had friends over to visit. They all commented on the horrible smell. It was embarrassing.

Clinton will never grow, never thrive until the city decides to act. What is being done to the people in South Clinton is more of the same. What Judy Edfors wrote should be taken to heart. Their health and lives are being ruined!

Can you imagine what Clinton would be like without the odor? Can you imagine all the new non-polluting industry that might locate here? All the new jobs, new money, new people? We have stayed stagnant because we have catered to a few industries at the expense of the entire city. Who runs Clinton, the council and city administrators or the polluting industry?

I am planning on talking to some state officials and will get some legal advice to see what residents of Clinton can do under the Home Rule Charter. I don’t believe we can sit back and do nothing anymore. It’s time for the city to act.

        

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