CARENCRO, La. — Residents stepping outside or going for a drive in Carencro have reported a lingering, unpleasant smell.
They say it's been happening more and more lately.
The source of the odor has become a growing concern for residents like Devin Thibeaux.
“I don’t know what to call it. It’s like rotten eggs,"he said.
Thibeaux, who has lived in Carencro with his family for the past four years, says the constant stench can be overwhelming at times.
“The smell that be around here is not good. It's not healthy to inhale. I'm not sure where exactly it comes from," he tells KATC.
During a city council meeting Monday night, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) addressed the odor issue.
According to Rhonda McCormick, regional manager with DEQ, a nearby landfill is likely contributing to the offensive smell.
“Our office has identified that there are some issues at the landfill in the vicinity of the roundabout,” she said during the meeting.
DEQ reports that the dirt cover over the building waste at the landfill has deteriorated, allowing the smell to vent into the community.
“The landfill is a type 3 facility, for construction and demolition facility. So they take bricks and sticks and things of that nature. The issue is coming from the cover. There have been what we call vents in the cover," McMcormick said. "Their cover should consist of 12 inches of silted clay every 30 days. They are supposed to cover the entire working face of the landfill within that time frame, but with erosion and weather, sometimes the cover isn’t holding. In some instances, the cover hasn't been appropriately applied or not to the depth it requires" she says.
Also according to DEQ, hydrogen sulfide is the smell that is emitting from the site. It's commonly found in landfills and is produced by the breakdown of organic waste.
According to Waste Today Magazine, landfill operators are required to cover all disposed waste at the end of each day to mitigate odors, control vectors, prevent fires, and minimize litter and scavenging. Federal regulations mandate that operators use a minimum of six inches of earthen materials as daily cover.
Thibeaux tells KATC he hopes this new year will bring in newer and better smells.
“I wish there would be a change or some way to clean it up,” he said.
The DEQ has confirmed that it is still investigating the situation. KATC reached out to Acadiana Landfill for comment, but we have not received a response yet.
