Plan in Motion to Eliminate Stench from Manchester Landfill

Residents in Manchester may finally see some relief from a stinky problem.

Upgrades are coming to the Manchester landfill to relieve odors that have been plaguing nearby neighborhoods.

Residents say the stench is almost unbearable for those living near the landfill. But town officials say some new investments should help deal with the stench.

"It’s been horrible," said resident Barbara Dubofsky.

"It’s worse in the summer, it smells like manure," Barry Dubofsky added.

The Dubofskys live across the street from the Manchester Landfill and Transfer Station, and every day their noses remind them.

"You have to close your windows, your doors, I mean everybody here has to deal with it. It’s just terrible," Barbara said.

The reason the stench is so bad, according to Town General Manager Scott Shaley, is because of 24 gas collection wells currently installed. Shanley says the wells, scattered across the 66-acre landfill, don’t work as they should.

"Basically there's too much gas from the landfill that's escaping our well system and our extraction system and it causes an odor," Shanley said.

The Board of Directors decided on a plan to clear the air. They approved adding more than $750,000 in town fund to an already existing town grant. With more than $1.5 million combined, they can use the money to rip out the old wells and install 42 new ones.

"All that is extracted and then burned using a flare that burns at about 1,500 degrees and the methane burns and the other gases burn up in the methane flare," Shanley explained.

Until construction begins ina few weeks, the Duboskys say they will have to deal with the nightmare, knowing smaller dreams will still come true.

"That would be great then we can keep our windows open," Barbara said.

And Shanley said the new wells are expandable, so as the landfill grows, so will the equipment.

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