Delanco, N.J. Residents Hoping For Odor Relief After Meat Warehouse Blaze
By Tim Jimenez
DELANCO, N.J. (CBS) ---- As the stench of rotting meat continues to hang over Delanco, NJ -- the site of a huge fire two weeks ago at a Dietz & Watson warehouse -- crews today were preparing to spray a solution designed to neutralize the smell.
The odor, comparable to a refrigerator that hasn't been cleaned for a year, has been bothering residents since the September 1st blaze (see related story).
It's been unbearable at times, according to Charles, who lives nearby.
"No barbecuing outside, none of that kind of stuff," he told KYW Newsradio this afternoon. "Windows shut most of the time because you don't want that odor in the house, and stuff like that. So, yeah, it's been pretty bad."
He's glad the cold cuts company is bringing in an outside firm to deal with the stench (see related story), especially since his wife has been complaining about an irritated throat.
Another resident, Ashley, says she's hopeful that relief is on the way, but the smell, she says, she won't be able to forget anytime soon:
"It just gets in your house and you start to smell it all the time. Even when you leave a town and you're far away, you still feel like you smell it because it's in your nose."
And for Aurelio, who's had to deal with the odor at home but not as much at his pizza shop a mile away, it's actually been good for business. People don't want to cook at home so they go out for a bite to eat.
As for Dietz & Watson taking too long to deal with the odor, he says they're not to blame.
"We understand. It was something unusual. It happens, so we've got to do the best we can."
A Dietz & Watson spokesman says they even have a system to spray trucks carrying spoiled food before they head to the landfills.
