ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County’s landfill just finished its first day with new odor-control efforts after several months of complaints from people who said their neighborhoods have started to stink.
But some of the efforts to get rid of the smell are futile as workers need dry weather to get things done.
“I didn’t think it went all that well. People were angry and rightfully so,” said resident Dave Payne.
Payne lives on the outskirts of the area in east Orange County where the landfill’s smell is creating a problem.
He’s wondering why after months of raising a stink, the landfill is only just now working on a long-term plan.
In the meantime, there’s a four-pronged approach leaders hope smells like roses: thicker dirt piles on top of the trash, more underground gas collection, more spraying to neutralize odors and a new spray to cut off the smell.
“In August, we had days where we had two or three inches of rain in an hour,” said Senior Solid Waste Engineer Jim Flynt.
Flynt said his people have to play catch-up after lots of rain in August.
“The increased rain increases the decomposition process, increases the activity of the bugs,” Flynt said.
Some of the neighbors said the rain story doesn’t pass the smell test.
“I’m not a scientist but I find it hard to believe that in Florida, they’re blaming the rain,” Payne said.
Flynt said residents will see the results.
“Our promise is, we’re going to do whatever we can to eliminate the odor problem,” Flynt said