Protestors call for action in relentless odour from Stoney Creek landfill

Protestors gathered outside of a Stoney Creek landfill Friday calling for action and transparency after a summer plagued by what they say is a relentless odour.

Neighbours of the GFL Landfill in Stoney Creek say the rotten egg-like smell has been an issue since it first began in April.

Residents in the area say odour has never been an issue in the ten years that the landfill has been operating in the area until 2021 when it would become noticeable in short periods.

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

Protestors say that the smell hasn’t left with the summer. The colder air has still left the smell lingering, even waking some residents in the middle of the night.

READ MORE: Air quality standards not violated near Stoney Creek landfill: report

Friday’s protest saw residents demanding more transparency in the air quality testing being conducted in the area and for the site to be barred from expanding any further.

Community members are still looking for answers into their question of whether the landfill will close after the current contract expires.

Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark, who has been vocal in his support of residents pursuing a solution, came out to join in demands for action from the provincial government and GFL.

Clark says it has had an undeniable impact on the community’s mental health as they have been forced to spend their summer indoors and with their windows sealed.

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Both the Ministry of the Environment and GFL say the odour is not dangerous and is the result of the construction of a new liner cell that is part of the landfill’s expansion toward Green Mountain Rd.

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.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, the City of Hamilton says that ongoing air monitoring tests continue to show no public health hazards in the area.

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