© J.D. Fitzgerald/Marana News
Residents in north Marana, particularly in the Gladden Farms area, are complaining of a strange smell and accompanying white smoke. The smell began a few weeks ago and has been so bad in some areas that residents have been forced to stay indoors and close windows.
The smell occurs in the morning, usually between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., and has been described by residents as a "chemical smell" or as resembling diesel exhaust.
A number of Gladden Farm homeowners took to a Facebook group to share their frustration and compare notes and all reported seeing white smoke or exhaust at the same time the smell is present. "It is very strong and irritates my throat," said Gladden Farms resident Christy Hollinger. "I am pretty tolerant to smoke, exhaust, pollen so was a bit surprised this affected me."
Hollinger said that she was out walking her dogs when she encountered the smell the first time and by the time she got home, her entire home had the exhaust smell. Others have reported having to roll up windows and turn off the air in the car when driving in the area.
Most believed the smoke to be coming from of two plants off Tangerine Road, either the Cal-Portland Cement plant or the plant belonging to Granite Construction, with several residents insisting that the smoke was coming from the Granite plant, where they make asphalt, among other things.
Hollinger said she has smelled asphalt and tar in the past, but that this is a different smell and far more pungent.
"There have been plenty of times in the past where there is an asphalt/tar smell that comes from the same direction," said Hollinger. "That smell is not accompanied with smoke that I've noticed. I've always accepted it as part of living near an asphalt plant."
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