AQ_F_0400052_20210621_CMPL_CmpltRpt

Complaint Investigation Report County: Anson
Region: FRO
NC Dept. of Environmental Quality Suspect: Anson County Waste Management
Division of Air Quality Facility
Facility ID# 0400052
Record# 23392
Regional Investigator: Cole,Jeffrey D. Suspect: Anson County Waste Management Facility
Regional Co-investigator: Suspect Contact: Tyler Fitzgerald
Partner Agency: Physical Location: 9566 US Hwy 52 N - Wadesboro
Date Complaint Received: 06/19/2021 Mailing Address: 375 Dozer Drive
Received By: Cole, Jeffrey D. City/State/Zip: Polkton NC 28135
Date assigned: 06/21/2021 Telephone: [phone] X 224
Alternate Telephone: [phone]
Investigation date: 06/21/2021 Complainant: Mindy Johnston
Follow-up date: Complainant Address: 9566 US Hwy 52 N
Report submit date: 06/24/2021 City/State/Zip: Wadesboro NC 28170
Telephone(H):
Complaint type: ODOR Telephone(W):
Complaint description: Landfill odor complaint Call Back Required? No Response Requested
Referral to DAQ: Previous DAQ contact
Situation Dangerous: Violation documented:
Occurring Now: NCFS Permit:
Signature: Report Date: og -7
Comments/Directions: On Friday June 18,2021 I received an odor complaint via email from Ms. Johnston
stated that, "I can smell the dump at 9566 US Hwy 52 N in Wadesboro. NC. It's 11:05 on Friday night. We are
at least 12 miles as crow flies from the dump. We can't even sit outside our home tonight." I also reviewed a
second email sent by Ms. Johnston on Saturday morning, June 19, 2021 at 5:24 AM stating, "It is 5:20"on
Saturday morning. No landfill odor. It was so strong I could smell it inside my home last night. How do they
turn it on and turn it off? Looks like it would smell everyday all day. I have health issues." Note her residence
is actually—7.7 miles NNE of Anson County Waste Management Facility.
Directions: From FRO,take Raeford Road, Hwy 401, south to Wagram,—32 miles. Just past Wagram,turn
right onto Old Wire Road(SR 144)to Laurel Hill. Turn right(west)on Highway 74 and go approx. 41 miles.
Turn right onto Dozer Drive (which is located between NC DMV office building and bridge over Brown Creek
on Highway 74). Go approx. 0.4 mile and the landfill office is on the right.
History: The first complainant that reported an odor complaint to FRO on July 17, 2020 mentioned above. The
complainant(Mrs. Kendall) stated that they have been smelling odors from the landfill for the last 9 to 10
months (starting in October 2020). They also noted that it is the worst in the evening when the air is heavy.
DAQ FRO investigated this complaint on August 7, 2020, after conducting a compliance inspection of the
Anson County Waste Management Facility and detected no odor around the complainant's residence at that
time. DAQ FRO closed this odor complaint but continued to investigate any further odor complaints that occur.
Since that first complaint,the facility has received a number of odor complaints regarding the landfill
(beginning on 7 December 2020)and FRO has documented odor observations odor observations on 2 separate

occasions. On June 19,2021 a memorandum was sent to RCO requesting that an Objectionable Odor
Determination be made for Anson County Waste Management Facility.
Summary of investigation: On Monday June 21,2021, I Jeffrey Cole of DAQ reviewed my email and noted an
odor complaint from Ms. Mindy Johnston at 9566 US Hwy 52 N in Wadesboro.NC, received at 11:05 PM on
Friday evening,June 18, 2021. Ms.Johnston stated that, V can smell the dump at 9566 US Hwy 52 N in
Wadesboro. NC. It's 11:05 on Friday night. We are at least 12 miles as crow flies from the dump. We can't
even sit outside our home tonight." I also reviewed a second email sent by Ms. Johnston on Saturday morning,
June 19, 2021 at 5:24 AM stating, "It is 5:20"on Saturday morning. No landfill odor. It was so strong I could
smell it inside my home last night. How do they turn it on and turn it off? Looks like it would smell everyday all
day. I have health issues."
On June 23,2021, I downloaded historical weather data from the Weather Underground's historical data
weblink(https://www.wunderground.com/history). At 10:52 PM on Friday evening, June 18, 2021 meteorology
data showed that it was mostly cloudy and 76°F with the winds coming from the South at 7 mph. At 4:52 AM
on Saturday morning, June 19, 2021 meteorology data showed that it was partly cloudy and 73°F with the winds
coming from the South Southwest at 8 mph. This meteorological data comes from the Charlotte-Douglas
Airport weather station and is such a distance away from this observation that its wind direction and speed are
not directly applicable to this odor complaint.
On June 24, 2021, I called Ms. Mindy Johnston and spoke to her about what she noted about her June 19th odor
observation. She stated that she had smelled it in her residence at 9566 US Hwy 52 N in Wadesboro,Anson
which is—7.7 miles NNE of Anson County Waste Management Facility. She also stated that it was definitely
the landfill she had smelled as she was familiar with the odor of rendering as her husband had worked for Valley
Protein—Wadesboro Facility in the past. She stated that she lived in the house for many years and only started
noting the landfill odor in December 2020. She stated the odor was at its worse around February 2021 but had
lessened since then. She stated however that it is still present usually at night.
Conclusion/Recommendation:
It appears that the source of the odor may be from the Anson County Waste Management Facility in Polkton,
Anson. Based on previous odor observations, on 18 June 2011 the FRO sent to the DAQ Director a request that
an objectionable odor determination be made for Anson County Waste Management on the basis of the
supporting documentation contained in a 7 December 2020 C 16 report and the associated odor evaluation forms.
Because of the delay in when the email from Ms. Johnston was received(after hours on a Friday night)to when
the investigation was begun(Monday morning) It was not possible to confirm the odors when they were
occurring. Our office will continue to investigate odors in the area around the Anson County Waste
Management Facility and conduct field investigations when there is a chance to directly observe the odor
reported.
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