ROCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — People who live near the Sherwin-Williams plant in Rochester Township say they hope a new agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will finally lead to noticeable changes in the air around their homes.
Todd Mackall has lived near the facility since 2003.
“It literally smells like fingernail polish remover. And it’s unbearable to a point where you can’t even open your windows,” Mackall said.
He said the odor can become so strong that he sometimes cannot comfortably spend time outside.
“If it’s stinking outside, I can only cut half my yard; I have to go back in my house because it makes my eyes and nose and throat burn so bad,” Mackall said.
The concerns come as the state is requiring changes at the Sherwin-Williams facility.
Under a new agreement with the Pennsylvania DEP, Sherwin-Williams will pay $124,700 to settle years of environmental violations.
The state says the violations include failures involving required monitoring, record keeping and testing, and pollution-control equipment requirements.
“If they would put in the equipment that they’ve been saying for years that they’re going to put in, that would solve the problem,” Mackall said.
Under the agreement, Sherwin-Williams faces two major deadlines for pollution-control equipment at the plant.
The company must have one emissions-control system installed and operating by Aug. 28 and another installed and operating by Oct. 31.
Sherwin-Williams is also required to test the thermal oxidizer, an industrial air-pollution control system, after it begins operating.
If the company fails to meet the requirements on time, the agreement calls for penalties of $1,000 per day for each violation.
In a statement to Channel 11, Sherwin-Williams said:
Sherwin-Williams is committed to being a responsible neighbor and active partner in Rochester, where this plant has been an important part of the community for more than 100 years. The Company continues to make significant investments to modernize and expand the plant’s capabilities, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the facility, its employees and the community.
This Order is the culmination of a collaborative, multi-year process between Sherwin-Williams and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) focused on advancing facility improvements and supporting continued investment in the site. As some of this work has encountered delays and other unique challenges, Sherwin-Williams has worked diligently with the PA DEP throughout the process and remains committed to completing these improvements and operating the facility responsibly.
For Mackall and other nearby residents who spoke with Channel 11, however, there are still questions about whether the financial penalties go far enough.
“That’s nothing to them,” Mackall said. “They should’ve done something about it years ago.”
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