Newburyport neighbors want landfill smell fixed

NEWBURYPORT (WBZ) -- Families who live near a landfill in Newburyport say the stench is making them sick. "Headaches, sleep deprivation, sore throat, burning chest," says Bill Woodbury.

The Crow Lane Landfill, behind his home, is covered with a plastic liner, but is not permanently capped.

The project, which was supposed to end the smell, has been stalled as the state fights with the company that owns it, New Ventures. The two sides have been in and out of court over the last decade.

The offensive smell is hydrogen sulfide, known to smell like rotten eggs. It's a byproduct of decomposing construction debris dumped at the landfill.

Woodbury was overcome by it when he had guests over for a Columbus Day cookout this week.

"It smells a little like a septic tank blowing in, and everyone kind of took notice of it, and the party went from sitting on the back deck to running into the house," he said.

"It's been a horrific situation for the residents, for the city," says Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday.

She had hoped to get the project finished before winter when harsh weather tends to rip the lining and make the smell worse.

"If we have...winds and rains as we had last winter, it caused a lot of damage, so I'm worried," she says.

The manager of New Ventures, Bill Thibault, says the residents' claims are exaggerated. He says he's just as eager to get the capping project done as everyone else.

He says if the state gives him the go-ahead, he could have the work done by spring 2011.

The stink has prompted neighbors to file a class action lawsuit against New Ventures.