Giant air freshener installed at a rubbish dump

Following a series of complaints to the Scottish council, the government has installed a giant air freshener.

Galashiels inhabitants have been upset for years about the strong smells coming from a local landfill site.

Although no houses are directly outside the dump, locals claim that the stench travels for about a mile.

After a lot of campaigning, the local council has responded by installing an odour control unit at the Easter Langlee rubbish dump.

“We are working closely with Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) not only to identify the exact source of the odours - but to develop an action plan to help minimise the release of landfill gases that are the most likely cause of the odour,” explained Ross Sharp-Dent, waste manager at the Council.

As part of the solution, Mr Sharp-Dent has said that the council will cap areas of the dump to expand the landfill gas management system. This has a number of operational benefits including the potential to reduce landfill gas emissions.

Not only are the solutions looking to solve the problem of smell, they are an attempt to make the area more environmentally friendly.

The giant air freshener system works by spraying a fine mist of odour neutralising agent into the air. It is hoped that this will neutralise the smell in the immediate area and therefore stop it from spreading to places nearby.

Although they cannot be sure, the local council thinks that the recent bad weather has something to do with the spreading of the foul odour.

Over the coming weeks, the success of the odour control unit will be measured.

"We have organised a meeting with the Coopersknowe and Easter Langlee Residents Association to which a representative from SEPA will attend. This will allow us to update them of our progress and discuss any other concerns they may have,” Mr Sharp-Dent said.