Coloma residents are hoping a state House bill will help get rid of the odor from nearby Orchard Hill Landfill. The bill, sponsored by state representative Al Pscholka, would double fines for landfills that commit odor violations.
That would make a first time violation $20,000 instead of $10,000, for example. Pscholka says that sounds extreme, but the fines also have not been adjusted for inflation in almost 30 years.
“There’s some very gut wrenching stories of people believing they’ve lost their property value, that their quality of life has suffered because of the odor of the landfill. And we should try to do everything we can to try to reduce it. And this was a simple measure that said look you’re not doing your job - you need to pay twice the fine,” he says.
Sarah Jollay and her husband own a farm in the area and sell their produce at a stand there. She attended one of four town hall meetings about the problem Monday night.
“It is there and it is bad. Our employees notice it, which is a challenge…we sell food," she says.
Other residents at the meeting said their water smelled like rotten eggs.
Orchard Hill Landfill compliance officer Chris Philips says increased fines is not going to fix the odor issue - which the landfill has already taken steps to correct.
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