FOSTORIA, Ohio — Residents of the city of Fostoria, Seneca and Hancock counties, protesters, and Sunny Farms Landfill employees were all at Thursday's Ohio EPA Air Pollution Hearing for Sunny Farms Landfill.
The conversation focused on the air permit, which is supposed to cut the stench and clean up the air. During public comment, one resident shared a story of her daughter's reaction to the smell.
"My daughter passed out in the house because the windows were open all night and I forgot there was one window open," she said. "The night before, I had called and said there was sulfur dioxide in my house. She passed out on the floor. Hit her head on the wall and I'm supposed to be okay with this? I'm not okay with it."
Ohio EPA Media Coordinator Dina Pierce said the permit isn't new and gets renewed every five years, to allow Sunny Farms Landfill to continue cleaning up the air and cutting down the stench.
"We update (the permit) to include the new emission units that are going in out there that have done a good job out there of reducing odors," Pierce said. "That's for large sources of emissions and most landfills have them."
But some residents are asking how the permit will force the landfill to clean up its act, which could be causing people to pass out from the stench. Ben Nutter, the community engagement for Sunny Farms and WIN Waste Innovations denied wrongdoing on his company's part.
"Mathematically and empirically, evidence shows that that is not because of us," Nutter said.
The Ohio EPA backs him up.
"The current emissions from the landfill do meet federal air quality standards that protect human health and the environment," Pierce said.
Despite cutting down the smell, the leader of the Rat Patrol landfill protest group, Danielle Rose, said approving the air pollution permit will cause a domino effect that allows the landfill to grow.
"Oh no, we're going to put in another stack and it's gonna be just fine. Everybody's gonna be just fine," Rose said. "But this new stack is a very big opening to get this expansion approval because if they get another stack, they can bring in more trash."
But the Ohio EPA would not talk about any future expansion at this meeting. They said the focus was only on the permit.
"So yeah, maybe we will have less headaches, there'll be less nosebleeds, less people passing out," Rose said. "But all at the same time, there's still going to be contaminants in the air."
"It's understandable that people are frustrated because they don't trust it, and we'll continue to earn back that trust as we work into the future," Nutter said.
The EPA said anyone with questions who missed the meeting can find more information on their website. For those who still have a comment about the air pollution permit, submit the comment via email to alyse.wineland@epa.ohio.gov or via mail to the address below:
Ohio EPA-NWDO
attn: Alyse Wineland
347 N. Dunbridge Rd
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402