Residents File $5M Suit Against Odorous Landfill in Pennsylvania

SEATTLE (Waste 360): Residents in Freemansburg, Pa., recently filed a $5 million federal lawsuit against the IESI Bethlehem Landfill operated by Waste Connections, claiming that its alleged odors and pollutants are making them uncomfortable and unable to use the outdoor areas on their properties.

The suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania by plaintiffs Robin and Dexter Baptiste, claims the landfill has a history of repeated failures in the proper maintenance and management of the landfill, with five ranging from 2012 to 2015.

Since 2015, Waste Connections has been working to increase its monitoring of gas wells and seal odors, but state inspections have found that the site lacks proper cover to prevent odors and pollutants from escaping.

Two Freemansburg residents last month filed a federal lawsuit against a Lower Saucon Township landfill, alleging its odors and pollutants make life for area residents uncomfortable.

The class-action complaint, filed against the IESI Bethlehem Landfill in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania, alleges that the facility's scents cause material injury to the plaintiffs' property, and that other residents in the area have also lost the ability to use outdoor areas on their property due to the stench.

Plaintiffs Robin and Dexter Baptiste are demanding a total of $5 million and invite owners and renters of residential property within a 2.5-mile radius of the landfill facility to join the class. The suit alleges that there are "in excess of 8,400 households within that radius."

Courtesy: https://waste360.com