By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — A stench on Argonne Road has become noticeable enough that it was brought up at the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Friday, Dec. 15.

Board member George Clemens, an owner of Rabb Water Systems at 303 Argonne Road, said, “I want to bring something up while I have you guys all here. I have gotten multiple calls this week about a stench out on Argonne. Have you? They’re going to call after the first of the year because they know there’s a little bit of changing of the guard.”

Mayor Joe Thallemer’s term ends Dec. 31 and Jeff Grose becomes mayor Jan. 1.

“But the funeral home, Walgreens, the store I own and different places are smelling this terrible like sewer gas or something. We’ve always had a little problem out there,” Clemens said.

Thallemer said he was pretty sure it was the asphalt plant. “When the wind blows, I smelled it the other day and just usually depends on which way the wind blows,” he said.

Clemens said the smell seems to be getting worse.

“People are saying they smell it when they pull up to the intersection and their windows are up,” he said.
Wastewater Treatment Utility Superintendent Brian Davison responded, “So, I believe it was — Rabb that called Miller in and then Miller called us and we went out and did some investigating. I believe we’re going to set up a time to do some smoke testing out there to make sure it’s nothing from the sewer and is from the …”

“Bituminous,” Thallemer said.

Clemens asked him if he thought that’s what it was then.

City engineer Aaron Ott said he remembered when they were meeting out at the south end of McKinley Street near the Gatke site and wondered if someone was paving because of what he smelled. He hadn’t heard anymore about it since.

Thallemer thanked Davison for checking it out to make sure it wasn’t something wrong with the city’s infrastructure.

“That smell to me was the smell that’s always been there on occasion,” Thallemer said.

Community and Economic Development Director Jeremy Skinner asked Clemens to keep them in the loop if the smell continues to persist.

“It’s all of a sudden I’ve gotten calls and stuff like that, neighboring property,” Clemens said.

Skinner said if it was just the wind shifting, then it should shift back. If it stays consistent, then they need to figure out what it is, he said.

“It smells like an asphalt, like fresh asphalt,” Thallemer said.

Ott agreed that it was his first thought when he smelled it.

Thallemer said he was pretty confident the smell was bituminous from the asphalt plant that sits back from the railroad tracks.

Clemens said he’s had neighbors complain about it.