‘Absolutely unbearable:’ Mount Dora residents complain about ‘permeating stench’

City officials announced they were investigating source of the foul odor

MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Resident voiced their concerns at the Mount Dora City Hall Tuesday night regarding what they called a foul odor.

Homeowners near Sullivan Ranch said the smell has been a problem for several years — and it has only gotten worse.

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The City of Mount Dora said it plans to have a device purchased by February that tracks down odors. Alongside engineers, the city said it will attempt to determine whether the smell is from a nearby landfill, water treatment plant or factory.

“They are concerned about their children going out there, waiting on the school bus, having the smell out there because we don’t know what the ramifications of that smell is,” one resident said.

The city said it’s spent $750,000 in upgrades at the water treatment plant in case the smell is coming from the facility.

Officials said a “sniffer” device will help track down the odor.

“In the last three or four years, it’s absolutely unbearable. Some mornings, we even smell it inside the house as we are waking up. It’s that bad,” a homeowner said.

The city said the nearby landfill has been cited with several other violations as they search for where the smell is being produced.

“From this permeating stench in your home that stays in the home all day, and you can’t open your windows ever and air it out because you are going to get inundated by the smell outside,” said another homeowner.

Tuesday night, the city said the state’s Environmental Protection Agency will also investigate the issue.

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About the Author:

Troy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. He has reported on Mexican drug cartel violence on the El Paso/ Juarez border, nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory and severe Winter weather in Michigan.

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