Air quality standards not violated near Stoney Creek landfill: report

A City of Hamilton report says no air quality standards have been violated following testing in the area of a landfill that is causing a strong odour.

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks assessed the air near the Green For Life Stoney Creek Regional Facility on Green Mountain Road last month after residents complained the “rotten egg-like smell” interferes with their daily life.

Testing revealed that hydrogen sulfide is the “most likely source” of the bad odour coming from a leachate pond and the facility.

While there is no public health hazard, the ministry says the smell can contribute to headaches, nausea, stress and not enjoying “property and quality of life.”

A spokesperson for GFL told CHCH News last month that the odour is the result of the construction of a new liner cell that is part of the landfill’s expansion.

The company says they had to dig up what had been at the bottom of the landfill and put it on top, causing the smell originally.

The project has since halted, but the scent remains.

Nearby residents say odour has never been an issue in the 10 years that the landfill has been operating until 2021 when it would become noticeable in short periods.

However, they say the smell has dominated the area this summer, making being outside almost unbearable and has forced them to keep their windows shut tight.

A Facebook group has been created for neighbours to voice their concerns. Some residents have reached out to both GFL and the Ministry of the Environment but have yet to hear solutions they feel will solve the issue.

READ MORE: Concerns rise over unrelenting odour from a Stoney Creek landfill