JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Murray Hill residents shared their thoughts on an odor control plan for an industrial plant that they believe is the cause of an unpleasant, lingering smell in the area.
The open house style meeting was Thursday at the Kent Campus of Florida State College of Jacksonville.
“Anytime the wind is blowing from the northwest, usually in the early morning, we smell a crude sulfate turpentine smell that’s really profound, really disturbing,” Kevin Wyatt said.
At one point it got so bad that he went to extremes to get away from it.
“When it’s really bad, your eyes will burn like sometimes it causes me to cough,” said Wyatt. “I had the worst night there ever was over the winter, I drove to San Marco and slept in my car because it was that bad.”
Residents said the smell that comes from the International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) plant on Lane Avenue affects their quality of life.
Residents learned more about the air operation permit renewal application for IFF Chemical Holdings. They also talked with representatives from the company and submitted comments to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
“The goal here is to make sure that with DEP potentially approving their permit, that there’s a lot of criteria and restrictions and penalties if and when IFF does something wrong,” District 7 councilman Jimmy Peluso said.
IFF is in the process of applying for an air operation permit renewal through the DEP. Peluso said the state getting involved will help with violation enforcement.
“On top of the fact that the city has some criteria for them, now the state of Florida, DEP, is looking to take those same restrictions and rules and criteria that the City of Jacksonville has and use it as a part of their state permit. So now we’re going to have enforcement from DEP, which is huge,” he said.
The lingering smell stretches as far as Ortega Forest, where Stephanie Baker lived.
“When we walk outside, we have to close the doors,” Baker said. “I was not able to walk for two days straight because the smell was so strong. And it’s toxic. It’s a chemical smell. It smells sweet, but it is a very offensive sweet smell.”
IFF said in a statement that it looked forward to the opportunity to hear from the community.
IFF appreciates the chance to participate in the process related to renewing our Title V air permit. The State of Florida has some of the most stringent air permitting regulations in the country, and Title V permits ensure compliance with both state and federal environmental laws. IFF remains in full compliance with our Title V air permit. Throughout more than 20 years of operation at our Jacksonville facility, we have utilized best-in-class technology and robust monitoring processes to ensure that we are preventing air quality impacts and complying with all applicable laws. We look forward to continuing to work with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection throughout the permit renewal process.
IFF
Michael Hammond, who has lived in Murray Hill for three years, has constantly dealt with an industrial-level stench.
“It smells like Pine Sol or turpentine. If you’re familiar with it, you smell it early in the morning,” Hammond said. “You smell it on the weekends when you can’t contact the city to inform them that there is an issue. It permeates our homes while we’re sleeping. It reduces our quality of life. You don’t want to go outside.”
Neighbors hope the state will listen to their concerns.
“They need to do a more thorough assessment of the facility, a more thorough understanding, to have a more thorough understanding of where the emissions are coming from, how they could be mitigated, and actually implement things that will mitigate the smell,” said Wyatt.
“I’m hoping not just for some legislation, but also for some accountability and enforcement,” Hammond explained.
If you were unable to attend the meeting, comments can be sent to the Department of Environmental Protection at Kathryn.Craver@FloridaDEP.gov until May 22 at 11:59 pm.
