SYLVANIA TWP., Ohio (WTVG) - Imagine an emission smell seeping into your apartment on and off for months. You’re thinking about reporting an air nuisance, but you find out that’s being eliminated in Ohio.
That’s what one neighborhood in Sylvania Township is dealing with right now. Some residents say they have been worried about a smell in their neighborhood since the beginning of this year.
Now the Sylvania Township Clean Air Coalition is organizing for change.
“As soon as I open my car I knew I had to run for my house because I couldn’t breathe in that, it was so strong,” said Sharon Lamb.
She and other coalition members are living next to an industrial zone in Sylvania Township. Within the last year they’ve noticed a strong smell that comes and goes in their neighborhood.
“To me it smells like if your car is behind a city bus at a stoplight … the fumes are right in your face, but probably at it’s worse here it’s times 10,” Lamb said.
In February, residents complained about odor and emissions at Recycle Services, one of the companies located at the industrial plot on Silica Road.
Toledo Environmental Services investigated and found two violations at the company, installation of equipment without obtaining an air permit, and not using a filter for dryer emissions. Company representatives said they’ve since addressed the violations.
“We’re trying to be good industrial neighbors…” Branden Stansley, a representative of Recycle Services, said in a presentation at a Sylvania Township Board of Trustees meeting Sept. 2.
In his presentation, Stansley said the company was trying to mitigate odors. They added a new dust collector and were switching to propane fuel.
Lamb said her frustrations persisted. She and the coalition were looking into reporting an air nuisance to stop the smell. “Now I understand that that’s no longer an option,” Lamb said.
Starting Sept. 30, Ohio will eliminate the air nuisance rule. It was passed as a law through the Ohio State Budget.
Once the air nuisance rule is removed, the EPA will not be able to label dangerous and odorous emissions as a public nuisance.
Not wanting to go through a court battle to fight the smell, Lamb said the group’s only recourse was “making noise as a public” and hoping leaders hear their concerns.
13 Action News reached out to Recycle Services for a statement about the coalition’s concerns.
“Recycle Services has been a proud member of the Silica industrial district of Sylvania Township for over 50 years, and we take seriously any concerns raised by the community on our recycling initiatives,” wrote a representative in a statement. “We remain open and available for dialogue with concerned citizens and will continue to work closely with regulatory agencies and independent auditors to ensure ongoing environmental stewardship.”
The spokesperson wrote that “Recycle Services re-engineered the entire system to include a brand new baghouse and completed third party testing to validate the unit was in compliance.”