Post by JoannaL on Feb 26, 2020 15:27:51 GMT -5
Delaware County Stinks
An overpowering stench is once again permeating Delaware County, Pennsylvania, but authorities have no idea what’s causing it. The “fuel-like” smell has been reported in towns across the county, including Glenolden, Lansdowne, Tinicum and Upper Darby.
“It’s like a sulfur, smokey,” Glenolden resident Terry Pelham told KYW-TV. “As soon as I got out of the car, I could smell it.”
“It was overwhelming,” Diana Delaney added. “I was afraid to smoke. I was like, ‘Where is this coming from?’ I literally thought the gas main had broken.”
Michael Szymanski of Glenolden speculated it was possibly coming from the nearby creek or sewage.
There are other residents who are convinced it’s New Jersey’s fault.
This isn’t the first time the people of Delaware County have been bothered by the stench that has been coming and going for several months. Several schools were forced to shut down in October.
Tim Boyce, director of emergency services, referred to the smell as the “whodunit factor” in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer last month. “The challenge we’re up against when you’re on the ground level is, the wind can be blowing in different directions, depending on where you are,” Boyce explained. “By the time someone gets to where the report came from, it might not smell anymore.”
Authorities have been looking at local industrial facilities and pipelines in the area, but have yet to find the culprit. The Odor Investigation Task Force, a collaboration comprised of agencies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, is assisting with the investigation.
Sources: Stephen Sorace, Fox News, February 26, 2020; Matt Petrillo, KYW-TV, February 24, 2020; and NJ.com, May 16, 2019.