Residents of Lady’s Island in South Carolina initially reported a pervasive odor in September, affecting hundreds of people living within a two-mile radius of the Barnwell Resources landfill. This site is operated by Coastal Waste and Recycling LLC.

The odor was characterized as “putrid” by those living nearby.

A month later, the community reached out once more with concerns.

They explained that the stench had become so overwhelming that it infiltrated their homes and vehicles, even lingering on their clothing.

Many locals expressed worry about the impact on their daily lives and health, fearing that the unpleasant smell might not dissipate anytime soon.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) received complaints from residents, inspected the landfill property and neighborhoods and conducted monthly/weekly tests and reports.

SCDES found that rain eroding soil packed on top of the construction waste was creating an omission of hydrogen sulfide.

Back in October, the state required Coastal Waste and Recycling to create a plan to minimize the gassy odor. The company submitted a plan and began maintenance and erosion repair.

Residents thought that was the end of the problem but close to the end of December, they have reported the smell again.  

“The reality is, it doesn’t matter if it’s rain, hot or cold.  No one knows what’s festering it up but it does it randomly,” said Steven Ankawi, a resident who lives off Middle Road.

Ankawi said the information they’re receiving about the smell is confusing.

SCDES reports that Coastal Waste and Recycling’s maintenance, including erosion repair and additional cover soils, is estimated to be 75% complete.

But Ankawi and several residents pointed to reports on a SCDES community page for Lady’s Island that showed high levels of the gas still in the air.

SCDES weekly air monitor reports show that the week of Dec. 10 through 16 recorded some of the highest levels of hydrogen sulfide than earlier reports dating back to November.

The report breaks down two designated monitoring areas. One in the landfill and one in the neighboring community.

The Dec. 10 report showed levels of over 150 parts per billion (ppb). Converted to the typical measurement of hydrogen sulfide, 150 ppb would be 0.15 ppm.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), prolonged levels of hydrogen sulfide at levels 2-5 can cause nausea, eye irritation, headaches, loss of sleep and airway problems.

Hydrogen sulfide levels reaching 20 can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, irritability, poor memory and dizziness.

Many residents have already reported side effects to their health, but they also worry what breathing in the gas can do long term.

Residents’ concerns aren’t just about their health. They worry about property values and what will happen to their close-knit island.

“It’s getting to a point where there’s so many people that are now talking about fleeing the neighborhood and I think everybody knows what happens when people start leaving in mass exodus,” said Ankawi. “That’s the end of the neighborhood and I don’t want that. We’ve lived here for 14 years. We love it here.  And it’s just really sad to see such a nice neighborhood, a nice community being destroyed by this environmental catastrophe.”

Residents are desperate for something to be done and have now turned to local and state officials.

Beaufort County Councilman and Lady’s Island District Representative David Bartholomew told he’s talking to anybody, monitoring social media and actively looking into the situation.

State officials did not respond.