Residents, councilwoman fighting local landfill
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BATON ROUGE - Joyce Taylor says a landfill near her home is making her sick.
She lives about half a mile away from the Ronaldson Field Landfill, in north Baton Rouge.
"The odor is so bad, that it will wake you up at night."
Taylor now uses a respirator after developing breathing problems. Her neighbor, Robert Harding, is also sick of the smell.
"When it rains, we can't even open up our doors around here," Harding said.
Metro councilperson Chauna Banks filed a complaint with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, saying the landfill should be closed if the agency doesn't crack down on the dump.
"We're trying to be the best neighbor we possibly can," landfill manager Beau Brian said.
Operators at Ronaldson Field the say the smell should not be coming from here. They say the landfill is constantly monitored by DEQ and, just last week, inspectors were out there after an odor complaint was filed.
"With appropriate documentation, addressing everything that was indicated through the neighbor, no odors were observed by DEQ at the time," Brian said.
Ronaldson Field can only accept construction and demolition debris, household and hazardous waste are not accepted.
"It's nothing that could be any harm to anybody," Brian added.
A public hearing is planned so that residents can have an opportunity to voice their concerns.