Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison has called on people in Rutherford who have suffered ill health from odour emissions to contact her.
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Ms Aitchison said she wanted to hear from everyone whose health was affected by the odours so she could pass on information to the Environment Protection Authority.
“Lots of people have come to me about the smell and the distress it creates,” Ms Aitchison said.
“But only one person has seen me about their health because of the odour emissions.”
The EPA had discussed with her that many odour concentrations were within the guide lines.
“But that does not take into consideration that there might be a high mixture of different chemicals,” Ms Aitchison said.
She was speaking to the Mercury on Friday after Harvey Norman franchisee Nick Swanson said the Rutherford “stink” caused by industrial emissions had become a real health risk.
Ms Aitchison said: “I want to know about people whose health has suffered through these odours.
“I need to have evidence about this, but most people have spoken to me about the smell – not how their health has suffered.
“I will be more than happy to take up their complaints because the situation in Rutherford is of definite concern to me.”
Ms Aitchison said she was writing to all the people in the Rutherford area, urging them to continue to report emissions outbreaks to the EPA on 131 555.
“These outbreaks must be stopped and the people responsible must be held accountable,” she said.
“But I want to hear from everyone whose health has been affected.
“We need evidence about this.”