Company sniffs out mysterious odor in Geneva

GENEVA -- Officials at the Burgess Norton plant on Geneva's west side say the strange odor that perplexed residents in nearby neighborhoods should be gone.

After much investigation, company officials traced the odor to oil used in a drilling process at the plant at Payton and Stevens streets. The oil was rancid, and its manufacturer has changed it out with other oil.

"Now we are asking the neighbors if they notice a difference," said Rita Seiller, human relations director for Burgess Norton, a manufacturer of machine parts. "We appreciate the help of the city and the neighbors, and we apologize."

The situation was a neighborhood mystery for a while. Alderman Sam Hill, 1st Ward, who represents the area, said the smell was noticed more than a month ago, particularly along Richards Street. But he said there were reports of people sporadically smelling it in other parts of town, too.

Seiller said when the odors started, city officials contacted Burgess Norton because one of its two Geneva facilities is in the area where the odor was strongest. Members of the city's building department and even the fire department checked things out.

City officials said Burgess Norton gave the city access to its facility, and the company even asked neighbors to help them "smell out" where the odor might be coming from.

Several weeks ago, the company held a town meeting for neighbors to address concerns about the odor.

"There were no health-related issues," Seiller said.

The oil was used in a process that was transferred to the Geneva facility from Oklahoma, when a Burgess Norton plant there closed. In February, the process will be transferred to another plant in Mexico, Seiller said.