Dear Editor:

HERE WE GO AGAIN!! The recent uproar over the obnoxious odor being emitted by Philip Services on Ga. Highway 92 near Whitewater Creek is just the latest in a long history of detrimental contamination of the air breathed by South Fulton and North Fayette citizens. This facility has contaminated our air many times in the past, in fact, in 1992 Fife Community Association was formed specifically to fight the awful odor being emitted into our midst. Back then, the smell was of a very bad open sewer. It permeated every part of our lives getting into locked cars, our homes, even the clothes in our closets. Fife Community Association retained a law firm to assist in our fight for clean air. During this time an official of Philip Co. stood before our community association and told us they didn't know they had so many neighbors. At this comment, I thought to myself "an idiot could look at the aerial photo and easily see 150 homes within a mile radius of this plant". People along Milam Rd. at Whitewater Creek and those on Hwy. 92 near the plant had to leave their homes and seek refuge in hotels because the odor invaded absolutely everything. Some of these peoples lives were ruined; they couldn't sell houses, property values plummeted. Some just gave up and moved away. The sad part is that Fulton County officials designed this facility’s existence nearly 35 years ago. But then, they thought this area would someday all be industrial. They just forgot to consult the people who live here.

A facility such as this has no place in a neighborhood. At least 500 homes have been added to the aforementioned mile radius. Originally the effects of the "stink plant," as it was known, reached for only a couple of miles. Today, however, it can be smelled as far away as places like Fairburn, Fayetteville, Tyrone, even Peachtree City which is 10 miles away. Since we live less than a mile from this plant we have noticed them hosing down the asphalt loading area for over a week. You can see the run-off going down the road into the creek. What are they trying to wash off? Where is it going? I'm sure glad my coffee was made this morning from water from a deep well. To paraphrase Bill O'Reilly: Nobody is looking out for us in South Fulton nor North Fayette County.

Earl Hindman, Vice President
Fife Community Association