SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Residents in Barrio Logan are eagerly waiting to find out what the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District decides when it comes to the noxious odor coming from a nearby biofuel plant.
“I’ve been here 20 years and it’s still the same way,” said Gloria Rebolledo, who lives near the New Leaf Biofuel plant.
Lindsay Wynn, who also lives near the plant, added, “It’s beyond bearable when you have to live in it every single day."
The smell in the air here is top of mind for many.
"There's hardly anything we can do anything about it until the plant decides to do something. Otherwise, we keep smelling this smell and getting stomach aches and headache from it,” Rebolledo said.
“It affects our quality of life from the quality of air that we’re breathing to being able to be outside with our friends and family and kids,” Wynn said.
Those who live say they’ve been deal with the odor coming from the new leaf biofuel plant for a while now.
But, some relief may be coming.
A hearing regarding the plant and the odor is scheduled for Thursday morning with the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.
It’ll decide whether to approve an order that would require the plant to take action to reduce the odor.
Those who plan to speak at the hearing hope something good for the neighborhood can come out of it.
“The biggest thing that they can do is really honor the request of the community and that’s to stop the smell and operation tomorrow,” Wynn said. “It’s just time to change. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t stop now. They can put in the odor control system.”
A spokesperson for New Leaf sent ABC 10News an open letter which was sent to the Barrio Logan community about the odor and what the company’s doing to remedy the issue.
The president’s letter said the company's worked with the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District's permitting process to identify and figure out the best option.
It read, in part: "As of this month we now have the agency's permit in place and the new system is under construction, along with other measures already undertaken. We expect to get everything completed by early December."
But some still remain skeptical.
“Maybe there’s intention there and I think some of those specific things that they’re doing is like closing garages and things. But, it’s not changing the quality of life of the people around this. It feels totally superficial and it’s just something to appease the community,” Wynn said.
And as we reported, a lawsuit has also been filed regarding the odor as well. That hearing will be held virtually at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
