A stench from the Richmond pumping station that won't go away will cost the City of Ottawa almost $38,000 in provincial fines.
The problem began in 2005 and neighbours in Richmond and Munster compare the stench from the pumping station to an outhouse toilet.
Richmond homeowner Bruce Webster has been on a legal crusade against the city to stop the smell for years. Webster says the smell can last for hours at a time.
In a new case before the courts, the City of Ottawa has now agreed to plead guilty to one charge under the Environment Protection Act. The penalty is a provincial fine of $37,500.
In 2007, the city also paid a $65,000-fine for odour related offences. Two other charges against the city have been dropped in a pre-trial resolution.
The city says it has undertaken a number of mitigation measures to stop the smell, including half a million dollars in capital upgrades to the pumping station.
