VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Quite a few people who live near a private landfill in Virginia Beach are complaining about the sudden smell coming from the property.
The site is just off Centerville Turnpike. The Hampton Roads Recovery Center (HRRC) Landfill is privately owned by a national company called Waste Connections.
The site only takes in construction materials, like wood and dry wall, from building and demolition projects. It’s been in operation at the site for 10 years, however residents 10 On Your Side spoke to say the odor has only become unbearable in the past couple months.
“Sulfur, odor egg smell, it’s just nasty.” That’s how neighbor Santo Chessari described it.
Another neighbor told 10 On Your Side said it is especially bad at certain times of the day. “It’s mainly at nighttime or in the morning depending on what the weather is and humidity, but it can get pretty nasty,” said Robert Wert. “You can’t even keep the door open. You’ve got to keep all the doors and windows shut. You come out here and you smell it right away.”
A number of emails to 10 On Your Side said the strong sulfur smell is causing them to have bad headaches.
10 On Your Side reached out to Waste Connections about people’s concerns and a representative sent this response in an email.
“We appreciate the time and interest you showed in our facility. The Centerville Turnpike CDD Landfill has been in operation for 10 years, and is in compliance with all Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) regulations. We were recently advised of some neighbor concerns and are working with VADEQ to address these concerns. We look forward to resolving these concerns quickly.”