Residents near Reykjavik crematorium fed up with heavy smoke and foul smell

Residents living near the crematorium in Fossvogur say they have had enough of the smoke and smell produced by cremations. Thelma Ámundadóttir said residents complain regularly and described the odor as extremely unpleasant.

She said her apartment filled with smoke at about 6 p.m. when the wind carried emissions from the facility. The crematorium’s furnaces are nearly 80 years old, she said, and have no pollution-control equipment or system to filter the smoke.

Ámundadóttir said the location itself is not the problem. “This is simply life, but have equipment that works,” she said, arguing that the machinery, rather than the crematorium’s position, is what frustrates residents.

“

We residents complain regularly. It is naturally rather unpleasant, and the smell is terrible.

The operation is due to move to Gufunes cemetery, where pollution-control equipment will be available. The timing remains uncertain. Reykjavik’s health authority said in a response to a recent residents’ complaint that operations could begin at the new site “at the end of this year or next year.” Until then, the crematorium must continue operating in Fossvogur, where the authority says pollution-control equipment cannot be installed.

The authority revised the crematorium’s operating permit last August. The one-year permit, which expired on Aug. 19, imposed stricter conditions, including a requirement that smoke not be visible from the chimney during cremations. It also limited cremations to between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Dark smoke can still be seen coming from the facility during cremations.

“

This is simply life, but have equipment that works.