They came for an answer and they got it. Now they are waiting to see the results. And for furious and fearful residents of unincorporated south Fulton, Fairburn, Union City, Tyrone and north Fayette County exposed and sickened for weeks by the onion-like smell of pesticide component Propyl mercaptan, the words of Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards will long be remembered.

“My goal is simply this. Since there is no answer and nobody knows anything, then let’s shut the plant down until we find some answers,” Edwards said. “This stuff is serious.”

That was Edwards’ bottom line Wednesday night over the continuing problems with the persistent and obnoxious onion smell of Propyl mercaptan coming from the Philip Services Corp. waste treatment plant on Ga. Highway 92 just inside Fulton County. The smell has sickened many, residents say. Meanwhile, company representatives at the meeting were apologetic but but left residents dissatisfied.

The sanctuary at Bethany United Methodist Church in north Fayette was overflowing with nearly 400 residents of Fayette and Fulton counties who came to express their outrage and demand answers to the smell that has permeated their communities and their homes for the past several weeks. By meeting time, nearly 800 residents of both counties had signed a petition demanding action. Nearly 230 residents of unincorporated south Fulton, Fairburn, Union City, Tyrone, unincorporated north Fayette and have complained of a variety of health concerns and illnesses during past weeks. Perhaps more significant than originally thought by public officials, a growing number of residents are seeking medical attention for their families, even their pets, as the lingering onion smell refuses to dissipate and health symptoms mount. Several residents reported that their dogs had died since the odor began.

Attending the meeting were Edwards, Commissioner Rob Pitts and an entourage of other Fulton County officials, Rep. Virgil Fludd, a representative for Congressman David Scott, Fayette County commissioners Linda Wells, Herb Frady and Robert Horgan, Fayette County fire, emergency management and health officials, members of Tyrone City Council and city staff, representatives from Georgia Environmental Protection Division, federal Environmental Protection Agency, an elected official from Palmetto and representatives from Philip Services Corp.

“I’ve listened to everything and to what people from different counties have said. The thing that Fayette County said that is key and important is that when they went out there to investigate the odor, the odor did come from the plant,” Edwards said, referring to statements made minutes earlier by Fayette County Fire and Emergency Services Director Jack Krakeel on the county’s successful attempt to pinpoint the source of the odor after receiving complaints from residents. “That’s an important piece of information.”

Edwards laid out the first two measures for Fulton County to address immediately. Those involve declaring a critical health status for the affected area and charging the county attorney with finding a way to require the plant to cease operations until the problems affecting residents have been identified.

“What I want to do is tell you this. We are going to tell (Fulton Department of Health & Wellness Director) Dr. Katkowsky that Fulton County wants to raise this level to critical. That’s the first thing. And I want the county attorney to instruct the county as to what we can do to (have the plant) cease operations until we do know what the problem is.”

Responding later to questions about the definition of a “critical” health level, Katkowsky said a critical level is one where people are suffering health effects where immediate action is needed.

Edwards continued his plan to address residents health problems, saying that he would contact Rep. David Scott to assist him from the federal level to achieve the goals.

“As I look at this whole issue, and at PSC and the millions of dollars of fines and I’ve got people getting sick but I’m not getting any answers and I’m not getting any solutions, so the only way we can do it, in my mind as an elected official, is to find a way to cease activities until we get some answers to our questions,” Edwards said.

Finally, Edwards said he would form an intergovernmental task force made up of representatives from Fayette and Fulton counties and citizens.

“We need to monitor this place every day. And I want Fulton County in there if we’ve got to be in there 24/7 to monitor this place each and every day,” Edwards said emphatically. “I promise you that we will be in this place until we can find some resolution. The intergovernmental task force can meet, all of us, so we can make sure that we don’t leave here tonight saying cute things without something happening. We want (the citizens) at the table with us so that we can continue to monitor this until it is resolved.”

During the meeting, PSC Vice President for Environmental Affairs Morris Azose was met with suspicion and sporadic outcries as he addressed some of the concerns voiced by residents. He apologized for the persistent smell of mercaptan in the affected communities.

“It is very clear that we had a problem,” Azose said. “We apologize for this incident.”

Azose said 38 shipments at 5,000 gallons each of wash water containing Propyl mercaptan had been accepted and treated at the facility from June 20-27. Those shipments have been processed. Shipments arriving June 28 were rejected by the plant, he said.

Many at the meeting were unimpressed. That sentiment continued with Azose’ remarks about setting up additional monitoring stations, welcoming residents to visit the facility and working with Rep. Fludd in his attempt to identify those residents that had sought medical attention they believe was related to the onion-like smell of Propyl mercaptan. Fludd had said earlier that people that had sought medical attention should not have to fully bear those costs. He passed out a sign up list for those who had paid for medical attention related to the onion smell of Propyl mercaptan.

Azose drew more fire than usual from angry residents when, responding to a question about trees on plant property being hosed with water, he initially said that such activity had not occurred. Azose was apparently unaware that the current edition of The Citizen showed a photograph of a truck on plant property, in fact, spraying trees. As with other portions of his remarks, residents said they found inconsistencies.

Edwards ended the meeting, attempting to reassure skeptical residents that their issues were being taken seriously, saying that he, too, took it seriously. The seriousness of the issue is one shared by Rep. Virgil Fludd, Rep. David Scott and Fulton Commissioner Rob Pitts, he said.

“If they did not take it serious they wouldn’t be here,” Edwards said. “Cause I ain’t smelling nothing where I live. Alright? So I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t take it seriously. We took a vow to serve you and protect you. And one way to protect is with any environmental hazard or environmental stressors that may have an effect your quality of life.”