Smell in Salinas and Marina indentified

Starting last week we started receiving emails to our newsroom about a smell in the area of Blanco Road and Highway 68 in south Salinas.

A call to the Ag Commissioner didn’t turn up a source of the odor. But when we asked the Salinas Public Works Director, their investigation identified the source.

Director Gary Peterson says their sanitation ponds on Davis Road just east of the river are the culprit.

The drought caused the algae in the ponds to decompose and now that they’re re-hydrating the ponds the smell coming from them is terrible.

We had reports from Marina and south Salinas due to the prevailing winds.

We’re told this is an organic problem and no concern to public health. The city is currently working to re-balance the ‘P-H’ in the ponds to curb the smell.

Peterson says he believes they have the stench under control now.