Ah, the Garden State

Middlesex County attempts to neutralize landfill odors using fragrant spray trucks

EAST BRUNSWICK — Deep within the countless mounds of trash at the Middlesex County Landfill, a special truck is waging a desperate battle for the hearts and minds — and noses — of nearby residents.

On one side — well, every side, really — are piles and piles of trash, with more than 1,000 tons arriving each day at the East Brunswick site. Atop one of the largest active dumps in the country, the garbage oozes methane gas, the stench of which has tested neighbors’ olfactory nerves for years.

But an unorthodox solution has entered the ring: A flatbed truck equipped with special nozzles now winds clumsily through the garbage, releasing a secret weapon: hundreds of gallons of a fragrant, soapy, slightly citrus-scented spray.

"It has a pleasant, showery smell," said Richard Fitamant, executive director of the Middlesex County Utilities Authority, which runs the landfill. "It’s not offensive and it’s not overpowering. It’s a light scent."

It does make you rather wonder what sort of chemicals are being sprayed in the attempt to 'solve' the problem. In my opinion, they're covering up the odour, but not really dealing with the cause. There must be better ways to run a landfill than this.

And sorry about the potshot of a title, but an old friend of mine from New Jersey used to make fun of Kentuckians all the time, nevermind that he went to college classes barefoot, so I couldn't resist.