Waste Plant Neighbors Raise a Stink

Residents from the 2nd and 5th wards sounded off Thursday night to three Veolia representatives about issues with the smell and noise from the solid waste transfer station in their neighborhood.

Melanie Williams, the Community and Government Relations Manager for Veolia, shared plans to address the concerns such as lower volume back-up alarms for trucks, charcoal filters to mask the odor, and a new building layout plan with extra green space. However, neighbors said the efforts won't fix the situation.

"We all appreciate the beautification efforts that you have looked into regarding the facility," said Chris Tirres, who lives near the plant. "That being said, I think we're also concerned about the fact that this may mask certain things that are ongoing problems at the facility."

When asked if Veolia is familiar with the United States best practices for solid waste transfer, Williams, the facility manager and regional manager all said they were not.

"Because the U.S. government publishes them does not mean they are the best," said Regional Manager Gregg Asciutto.

Tirres said he does not believe a conversation with Veolia can move forward until the representatives become more familiar with the best practices.

Neighbors voiced concerns about health risks and noted problems such as idling trucks in their neighborhoods, being woken up early when the facility opens, and a smell that permeates their community.

"People have opened their doors throughout this entire summer, got out of their cars, in some cases gagged, and gotten back in their cars to leave," said Muffy McAuley, a developer of the Strange Lofts building near the waste facility. "There is a reason that it is known as the smelly corner."

Efforts to mask the smell is also a cause for concern among neighbors, who said they are worried about health risks from chemicals used for that purpose. Williams promised to make public information on the chemicals the company uses to mask the smell of the waste.

Additionally, Veolia representatives said the transfer station opens at 6:30 every morning, to which Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd Ward) noted a city ordinance that requires that type of facility to open no earlier than 7 a.m. Neighbors complained that the early operation hours have been waking them up, due to noise from the station.

Williams avoided a question asking what it would take for them to move out of the community, saying only that she hopes to work together to address the current issues.

A representative from the city's health department noted that a staff member has been assigned to look into the issues with Veolia. 

Jean-Baptiste and Ald. Delores Holmes (5th Ward) promised to continue public discussions on the issue, and encouraged citizens to contact them with their concerns.