I saw this article at BoingBoing, and had to look it up.

From Wikipedia:

The Aroma of Tacoma, also known as the Tacoma Aroma, is a putrid and unpleasant odor associated with Tacoma, Washington, United States.[1] The smell has been described as similar to the odor of rotten eggs.[2] The odor is not noticeable throughout the city, but is rather concentrated in the Tacoma tideflats and is frequently smelled by motorists traveling that section of Interstate 5.[2]

  • Lovable Sidekick
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    15 hours ago

    Outdated - the smell is mostly gone now. Based on timing of when the pulp mill closed, it seems to have been the main cause.

    • Doomsider
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      13 hours ago

      This is the correct answer, it was the pulp mill.

      • Lovable Sidekick
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        9 hours ago

        A friend of mine made up a rap song a long time ago about a superhero who got his powers from toxic waste. I remember one line, “His stupefying aroma, is like he’s from Tacoma.”

    • PumaStoleMyBluff
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      12 hours ago

      There was a paper towel/toilet paper factory in my college town and yeah woof everyone knew it when they were in the area.