Municipal News
- Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 21:24
By Christina Walko
At the Rostraver Commissioners meeting of January 2, residents lined up to implore Council to help fix a problem with no easy solution – the overwhelming stench that permeates residential areas coming from the landfill at 200 Connor Lane, off Tyrol Blvd.
At the Rostraver Commissioners meeting of January 2, residents lined up to implore Council to help fix a problem with no easy solution – the overwhelming stench that permeates residential areas coming from the landfill at 200 Connor Lane, off Tyrol Blvd.
The plant is owned by Tervita Sanitary and has been the subject of complaints since 2011.
“Over the last six months we have had more problems with the odor than ever before,” said Belle Vernon resident Jim Blair. “I believed things would get done at the last meeting but nothing is happening.”
While the smell used to come and go intermittently, residents say that it is rare to have a day without the smell now. “I woke up at 4 a.m. one morning and could smell it in our bedroom,” said Debbie Bottman, who lives directly in the line of the plant. A letter was sent to the plant by the commissioners, but there has been no response yet.
Residents are concerned not only with the nuisance smell but with property values going down and whether or not it is a health hazard to be breathing it in. “We have an issue in determining what is hazardous waste and what is residual,” said resident Jack Kruew. “We should know if the plant may have radioactive chemicals considered hazardous waste.”
Township solicitor Albert Gaudio stated that complaints had been made to the D.E.P. The D.E.P. has visited the plant several times. Plant spokesperson Ron Levine addressed the health issue by stating that the plant takes only non-hazardous materials approved by the D.E.P. and has been checked for radiation. Levine answered the public’s concerns by reassuring that the smell was all residual, not hazardous. “It is just a smell, not a health hazard.” he stated.
Tervita says it is putting close to $200,000 into the problem. The smell, Levine says, is one of sulfa from decomposition and heat. The Rostraver Fire Department has been called several times from residents mistaking it for a gas leak.
Levine went on to discuss possible causes of the smell and what is being done, including using enzyme products to counteract the odor and putting in gas abstraction wells. “We are doing all we can. The smell will be there for the next few weeks, but we hope to have it gone by the end of January.”
Until then, Levine says the plant will be following all laws and guidelines dictated by the D.E. P. and will be operating its business as usual “We are not running away from the problem- all we can do is put our heads down and come up with solutions to a complex problem.”
