Dive Brief:

• Residents of the Avalon Park neighborhood in east Orange County, FL were among those who complained at a public meeting this week about odors from the county landfill.  Residents said the smell "permeates" skin and is apparent behind closed garage doors. "It's like rotten eggs, like poop decomposing," neighbor Millie Martinez told Click Orlando.
• Jim Becker of the Orange County Solid Waste Division said the agency is working on solutions and will meet with residents again in six weeks. "I wish we could fix it overnight, but it's going to take some time, but it's going to get fixed," Becker said.
• Becker said the odor was caused by 15 inches of rain in August, a growing landfill, and a mixture of waste with construction demolition. The landfill has begun separating the two waste types; installed misters; started closing a section; and hired a consultant.

Dive Insight:

Odors are an inherent part of landfills and have led to complaints in counties across the nation, including areas of Pennsylvania and Kentucky. But they're a tricky problem to solve.

David Biderman, executive director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America, told Waste Dive in August, "Landfills need to continue to be good neighbors."

"Landfills are essential parts of our national infrastructure," he added. "It's essential that they operate properly to protect health and the environment."

Orange County officials understand what's causing the odor and are taking steps to resolve it. That's small comfort to the residents of more than 2,000 homes situated within 5 miles of the landfill. However the county is trying to be accountable, and residents will have a chance to respond to the efforts in six weeks.