Driving from town to valley in lovely Juneau these days provides a memorable (and disgusting) olfactory sensation. The landfill has grown so much since the incinerator broke down and wasn’t replaced that not only is the mound visible from Egan highway, but the smell lingers throughout the neighborhood surrounding the dump. If you happen to live in the vicinity, I feel for you.

The status of the landfill is no secret. People have been rightly complaining about it for a long time. And the landfill’s operator, Waste Management, has even employed the use of some fancy technology to try and keep the odors down. Sometimes it works, but usually it doesn’t.

Many suggestions have risen to deal with the odor, and the one that seems to be catching the most momentum is an initiative where partner villages in Southeast would ship their trash to a central location for longterm storage.