“Our goal is to have no source of [onion] odor emanating from our facility. What’s left now is the vapor that is lingering,” said Morris Azose, an official with a waste treatment plant on the Fayette-Fulton border.

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

He spoke last week to an overflow crowd of nearly 400 residents of Fayette and Fulton counties who came to express their outrage and demand answers about the odor that has permeated their communities and their homes and possibly made many of them sick during the past several weeks. The location was the sanctuary at Bethany United Methodist Church in north Fayette.

With more than 240 residents of north Fayette and south Fulton counties ill or affected by symptoms of alleged exposure to pesticide component Propyl mercaptan, Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards called July 19 for the Philip Services Corp. waste treatment plant on Ga. Highway 92 to be closed until the problem with the sickening smell can be solved.

Meanwhile, Georgia Environment Protection Division (EPD) is currently conducting a large-scale investigation of the facility.

Attending the meeting called by Edwards was Fulton County Commissioner Rob Pitts and an entourage of other Fulton County officials, 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, state Rep. Virgil Fludd, a representative for Congressman David Scott, representatives from EPD, federal Environmental Protection Agency, an elected official from Palmetto and representatives from Philip Services Corp.

By meeting time, nearly 800 residents of both counties had signed a petition demanding action.

During the meeting, Azose, the PSC vice president for environmental affairs, 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.

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. Shipments arriving June 28 were rejected by the plant, he said.

Many at the meeting were unimpressed. That sentiment continued with Azose’s remarks about setting up additional monitoring stations, welcoming residents to visit the facility and working with state Rep. Virgil Fludd (D-Tyrone)in his attempt to identify those residents that had sought medical attention for symptoms they believe was related to the onion-like smell of Propyl mercaptan.

More than 240 residents of unincorporated south Fulton, Fairburn, Union City, Tyrone, unincorporated north Fayette have complained of a variety of health concerns and illnesses during past weeks.

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.

“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 told the impatient crowd. “This stuff is serious. What I want to do is tell you this. We are going to tell (Fulton Department of Health and 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.”

Rep. 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. Fludd said Monday he was providing PSC with a copy of the list of affected residents.

Azose said July 25 that systems within the plant have been scrutinized and washed with a bleach solution followed by an enzyme treatment to break down any mercaptan that might somehow be remaining on the property after 150 gallons of mercaptan water wash had been located and isolated in the tank system.

Azose said EPD is putting together a large group this week to conduct an inspection of the plant. Those words were echoed by EPD Communications Director Kevin Chambers Tuesday who said the agency has a multi-media investigation underway that involves several EPD branches.

Responding to reports from some in the affected areas, Azose said Tuesday his company had made no offers to consider purchasing homes of any residents.

Azose said there was no question that residents were exhibiting symptoms, although he said he could not explain how some residents had reported smelling mercaptan prior to the first shipment arriving at the PSC plant June 20.

He did say PSC was considering installing additional equipment to decrease any potential odors from escaping the plant in the future. Azose maintained that PSC has been and wants to continue to be a good neighbor.

From the Fayette perspective, officials from various departments held a county task force meeting on mercaptan July 24. The group devised an initial action plan to be presented to county commissioners, to be forwarded to Fulton County commissioners.

The action plan includes collecting and tracking medical and demographic information through an on-line form on the county’s Web site, sharing pertinent information with other agencies, continuing a dialogue with federal Environmental Protection Agency regarding air sampling, obtaining all long-term information on the operation of the PSC plant and its previous owner and conducting appropriate tests on water or soil where indicated.

For a copy of the community Exposure Report visit the Fayette County Web site at www.admin.co.fayette.ga.us.

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