‘It’s like a garbage or a rotten egg type of smell’: Landfill odor seeps into McFarland community

November 3, 2018 1:06 AM

Jamie Perez,

Posted: November 3, 2018 1:06 AM

Updated: August 31, 2021 12:22 PM

by Jamie Perez

‘It’s like a garbage or a rotten egg type of smell’: Landfill odor seeps into McFarland community

DANE COUNTY, Wis. — At least 12 residents have sent in complaints to the Dane County solid waste manager about an odor seeping into the McFarland community from the Dane County Sanitary Landfill.

“It’s like a garbage or a rotten egg type of smell,” said solid waste manager John Welch.

Welch said a rainy fall season has prompted gas to form earlier than anticipated from the landfill.

“All that rain helped to kick-start the biological process to break down the garbage,” he said. “We put dirt or coverage soil on top of the garbage each day to contain those odors. We also have some products that neutralize those odors. We are spraying those products on the trouble areas right now on a daily basis.”

Welch said the Dane County Sanity Landfill plan to drill gas wells the first week of December to help contain the odor.

“We were already planning to put gas collection wells in this winter,” he said. “We’ve just accelerated that schedule now because the gas is being produced a little bit earlier than expected.”

In the past year, Welch said the department has spent more than $1 million on odor control mechanisms. The new gas wells will cost $20,000.

“It really isn’t at all about funding. We are willing to spend the money to do what’s right,” Welch said. “We really strive to be good neighbors and we take that very seriously. If people do continue to experience odors, they should call me directly. Whether it’s 9 o’ clock at night or 3 o’ clock in the morning, we will come out, respond to that and work on it right away.”

If you are experiencing odor issues, Welch can be reached at 608-516-4154 or Welch@countyofdane.com.

Get your weather forecast from people who actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.