CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Chesterfield residents who live near the Skinquarter Landfill off Hull Street Road in Moseley said they want more action taken to prevent a foul odor emanating from the landfill.
Between Oct. 21 and 24, the landfill received 76 odor complaints, according to a DEQ compliance inspection report shared with CBS 6 by Ashley Aliff.
Aliff lives about a mile from the landfill and told CBS 6 that instead of spending her days preparing for Christmas and taking care of her three children, she’s having to advocate for changes related to the odor issue.
Six years ago, Chesterfield County approved the expansion of the landfill to the chagrin of many residents.
At the time, residents who lived nearby told Melissa Hipolit they worried about possible health and environmental impacts.
But, the county said there was no safety risk.
Fast forward to today, and dozens of residents have taken to social media to complain about the stench coming from the landfill, including Aliff.
“If we slack off at all it ends up getting worse, and that has been proven over the years,” Aliff said.
Aliff said the landfill, which takes construction and demolition debris from as far as 600 miles away, periodically emits a nasty smell, and the problem is only getting worse.
"October, beginning of November, was the worst it has ever been consistently for a decent period of time,” Aliff said.
“What does it smell like?” Hipolit asked.
“It stinks. It smells like rotten eggs, sometimes it smells like sewage, sometimes it can even be sweet smelling, it’s gross,” Aliff said.
She said an official from the landfill told her the smell is from H2S or hydrogen sulfide gas.
“It is created by the decomposing of sheet rock when water meets the sheet rock and it filters through the landfill it’s produced at the end in the water, and it’s gross,” Aliff said.
Aliff showed CBS 6 an inspection report from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality that shows inspectors did detect H2S odors off-site from the landfill on Nov. 7, which prompted an on site visit to the landfill.
Odors were also found at the landfill, but the General Manager of the landfill, David Valdez, told the inspectors the facility had made upgrades to the gas extraction system.
DEQ also noted contractors on site preparing to install gas remediation systems, gas extraction and an odor misting system within the next week.
DEQ found the landfill appears to be following the odor management plan and no violations are listed.
Aliff said that does not satisfy her.
“It’s very loose, the regulations seem so be very loose,” Aliff said. “I have yet to see a single documented reading of H2S. If that’s waht we are dealing with and that’s what stinks then shouldn’t we be monitoring the H2S and documenting it?”
In 2022, Chesterfield County said it would ensure Skinquarter followed through with its commitment to place gas monitoring stations on the properties of interested residents, but Aliff said that’s never happened.
“We have not seen that happen,” Aliff said.
“Not a single person has got one of those monitoring devices?” Hipolit asked.
Aliff shook her head no in response.
We have reached out to David Valdez with the landfill, and he said he will send a response to our questions about the issue, and we are still waiting for that response.
In response to our questions about the odor issue to the DEQ, Communications Coordinator Julia Raimondi said, "In February 2022, DEQ determined that the facility exceeded the threshold for nuisance odors as described by the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations and consequently required the facility to develop an Odor Management Plan. DEQ is currently working within its regulatory authority to ensure that the facility is adhering to Virginia’s most current laws and regulations addressing nuisances and odors generated at permitted solid waste management facilities. Currently, the facility is in the process of updating its Odor Management Plan. Once those revisions are complete, the landfill will submit its revised plan to DEQ for review and certification."
Anytime you smell the odor, Aliff wants you to email Jerome Brooks at the DEQ your concerns.
His email address is jerome.brooks@deq.virginia.gov.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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