There's a stink brewing in Dawn-Euphemia so the municipality has taken action to put a lid on it.
Mayor Al Broad says their fire department has been responding to an increasing number of calls about bio solid fertilizer self-combusting. Bio solids are organic human waste recycled from sewage and although they are not illegal, they are controversial.
Mayor Broad says farmers can cut down on the risk associated with the dried powder fertilizer and the foul odor it creates when it catches fire.
"We were hoping over the past three years that farmers using the dried powder fertilizer would comply voluntarily, but that hasn't happened in all cases," he says. "Now the township of Dawn-Euphemia has a new bylaw in effect that has penalties associated with improper storage of the product."
Fire Chief Dave Williams says they're urging farmers to spread the fertilizer as soon as possible after receiving it, but if they don't do so within 30 days, and it spontaneously combusts forcing a fire call, they will be fined the cost of the fire call.
He says sending out a truck and four firefighters costs about $1,000.
Broad says there is also concern about stockpiling huge mounds of the product, as it could blow into neighboring grain crops including wheat.