Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
We’ve been fighting this for years... the whole thing stinks
Residents reveal frustration over foul smell around homes
FURIOUS residents are kicking up a stink over bad smells that have making their lives a misery for almost four years.
The ongoing odour issue across West Belfast and Lisburn is causing problems for families at several sites.
Residents in the Colin area in the west of the city have been affected by the unpleasant smell since 2017, which in recent months has been traced to the Mullaghglass landfill site.
It’s believed this odour may be spreading as far as the Derriaghy area, however residents there suspect that a separate issue traces back to an industrial estate.
Locals from Killeaton Residents Group revealed they have made complaints but that these have not been taken any further.
Donal Mccann said: “We have been living in Derriaghy for four years and recently, especially in the last couple of months but as far back as 16 months ago, the smell has become really bad around the Derriaghy, Dunmurry and Lisburn areas.
“We suspect it may be coming from an industrial plant. The smell can sometimes be quite fishy.
“It’s almost like an ammonia type smell. Sometimes it can smell like burning rubber.”
Eunan Kearney lives in Killeaton Park with his wife and three children. He said he is passionate about the environment and that the public should be able to breathe in clean air.
He added: “I smell a gas-like smell and it is quite strong at times.
“Some of my family say they think it is more of a rubbery smell. The smell does vary. I sent a few emails to representatives in the council to ask for help. The momentum in the residents group was building over Christmas and I added them into the mix and the council directed me to certain factories.”
Aaron Galloway is also a member of Killeaton Residents Group. He works as a driving instructor and said he first noticed the odour three or four years ago.
He added: “I have lived here for over seven years. You come out of your house and the smell hits you up the face. It has a chemical smell, like rubber.
“There is the other smell coming from the Colin area but this is more concentrated in the Killeaton Park area.”
Responding to a query from MLA Orlaith Flynn on the Mullaghglass issue at the Assembly on November 3, Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: “NIEA have been looking at a different number of odour sources and reports of different smells across the
Colin area.
“The inspectors for the different regulated sites have initiated joint inspections in the area to further establish what odours are affecting different parts of the Colin area.
“They have also been sharing information closely with the relevant environmental health officers in Belfast City
Council and Lisburn City and Castlereagh Council.”
Ms Flynn said thousands of residents in the Colin area are being affected. On Monday, the Sinn Fein MLA spoke with Dr Theresa Kearney, head of the regulation unit in the NIEA. She said: “They are aware of the high volume of complaints that have came in over the Christmas and New Year period and are keen to find a solution to this ongoing situation,.
“The NIEA and Minister Poots have been made aware that the issues around this odour have escalated and as a result, the DAERA Minister has agreed to pull together an emergency meeting with elected representatives this week.”
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency told the Mirror yesterday that they are aware of an odour issue flagged by the Killeaton Park Residents Group. A spokesperson said:
“NIEA are continuing to monitor the odours and investigate all of the complaints received.” In relation to the Mullaghglass site, the department said in September “inspections have substantiated complaints from residents in Mount Eagles that there is an odour nuisance which has been traced to the Mullaghglass landfill”.
A Belfast City Council spokesperson told the Mirror: “We are aware of this issue and continue to investigate a number of complaints concerning odours affecting this area. We are liaising with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.”
The Mirror has contacted Lisburn and Castlereagh Council and the two sites for comment.
The smell can sometimes be quite fishy... sometimes it can smell like burning rubber DONAL MCCANN DERRIAGHY YESTERDAY