A view of the famous C&H sign visible at the C&H refinery in Crockett, Calif., on March 2, 2022.
“Sugar Town” residents have been complaining about an acrid “rotten egg” smell that’s been clouding the air in the northwest Contra Costa County town of Crockett this month, government officials said.
The county's health services department said that hydrogen sulfide — also known as “sewer gas,” “swamp gas” and “stink damp” — has been emanating from the Crockett Wastewater Treatment Plant due to an unspecified operational issue. The plant, which processes sewage from the local community and sewage from the California and Hawaiian Sugar refinery, is owned by C&H and has since been investigated by local authorities.
“We've issued 16 notices of violation, and we've responded to approximately 300 public complaints,” said Kristine Roselius of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, who described the amount of notices as “unprecedented.”
Company representatives believe the smell may persist for another seven to 10 days, she said Oct 14.
“CCH issued its advisory on Oct. 7. At no point has CCH or its partners detected levels of hydrogen sulfide in Crockett's air that would be considered immediately dangerous,” the health advisory said. The department advised residents to stay indoors and use air filters to reduce exposure, especially for those experiencing mild symptoms. While high concentrations of the funky, colorless gas can cause headaches, nausea or burning eyes, community members agreed that its oppressive smell is perhaps the biggest nuisance of all.
“I worry about my elderly customers. I care about people not wanting to come down in the town to shop at my store because of the smell,” said Sugar City Pet Supply’s Lisa Forry in a KTVU report. “When is my headache gonna go away and are my birds gonna be safe?”
“When it was 107 degrees, you couldn't even come outside in Crockett. It was awful,” added Cindy Castro, owner of Club Tac.
“It stinks. People don't want to come out in it,” lamented Toots Tavern owner Matthew Easterling. “I'm losing business. My bartenders don't want to be here.”
C&H press representatives did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment.
Source: sfgate.com
English (United States) ·