AQMD CITES CEMETERY FOR LACKING PERMIT; ODOR COMPLAINTS TO BE PROBED.

Byline: Lee Condon Staff Writer

Air quality regulators Thursday cited Grand View Memorial Park for operating one of its crematorium ovens without a permit and will conduct tests next week in response to complaints from residents about a foul smell coming from the site.

``We issued a notice of violation because they did not have an air quality permit for one of their ovens,'' said Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The AQMD has ordered the cemetery to stop using the oven until it obtains the proper permit. The action was unrelated to the complaints about smell. The cemetery will be allowed to continued to use one of its other ovens.

So far inspectors have not encountered the same smell that residents claim have bothered them for a year. But within the week they will complete what is known as a ``source test'' to determine if the emission systems are working properly, Atwood said.

``We plan to do some test to verify if the pollution control equipment is operating properly,'' Atwood said.

Last week, a group of residents who live near the site complained to the Glendale City Council, saying an odor from the crematorium was so bad it made them feel nauseous. They said they had complained for a year to the cemetery and state and local officials, but received no relief from the smell.

Since then, the AQMD, the state's Cemetery and Funeral Program and the Glendale Fire Department have been investigating the matter. The AQMD ordered one of the facility's ovens to be shut down this week because cemetery officials could not produce a permit.

The problem persisted Thursday, said area resident Joe Conway. Conway said he saw black smoke coming from the crematorium and smelled an odor while mowing his lawn.

``It looked like the place was on fire. The smell was horrible,'' Conway said.

The Glendale Fire and Public Works departments went to the crematorium late Thursday after receiving calls about smoke, said Ritch Wells, a spokesman for the city of Glendale.

Conway said he hoped that what investigators found Thursday will prompt them to take action.

Marcia Howard, a Grand View Memorial Park vice president, declined comment Thursday.

Previously Howard denied any foul odor was coming from the site and said none of the neighbors had ever complained to her. However, Howard said she would comply with any directives from state or local officials.

Nancy Hardaker, a spokeswoman for the state's Cemetery and Funeral Program, said inspectors are investigating the cemetery, but have not taken any action. Inspectors are awaiting the results of the AQMD test, Hardaker said.

Glendale Fire Marshal Dave Starr said the Fire Department is working with the AQMD, but does not have jurisdiction to take action against the cemetery on an air emissions issue.

``Our role has been to advise (AQMD) in terms of what constitutes fire safety,'' Starr said.

The Fire Department was in contact with the crematorium last month because of a fire, Starr said. Repairs related to the fire are ongoing. Damage, however, was minimal and the Fire Department has not had to take any action against the cemetery related to those repairs, he said. An oven damaged in the fire has not been in use since, Atwood said.

The cemetery has five ovens in its crematorium. Of the five, two are permitted by the AQMD and three are not, Atwood said. The three ovens that are not permitted had not been used for several years. The cemetery started using one of its inactive ovens, despite not having a permit, after the fire damaged one of the permitted ovens, Atwood said.

The fire-damaged oven is still not up and running, leaving just one permitted oven in operation, he said.

Penalties for running such a facility without a permit can reach as high as $50,000 a day, but Atwood said the amount is usually significantly lower. He said the AQMD will attempt to reach a penalty settlement with Grand View regarding the violation.

AQMD officials visited the site twice in 1998 in response to complaints from residents about odor and smoke, but found the facility to be in compliance with state regulations.

As for the odor, Atwood said AQMD inspectors have smelled an odor near the crematorium but have not witnessed it outside cemetery grounds. In order to take action against the cemetery for the odor, inspectors would have to find evidence that it was causing a public nuisance.

``The smell has not been evident in the community,'' Atwood said.

Atwood said residents should call the AQMD when they are smelling an odor in the community so inspectors can respond immediately. If the inspectors do not smell the odors themselves they cannot take action against a business. The toll free AQMD number is 800-CUT-SMOG.

``We encourage residents to call if they suspect air pollution at the time when they are smelling the odor or seeing the smoke. We do have the capacity to respond 24 hours a day,'' Atwood said.