By VINAYA SAKSENA

CUMBERLAND — A foul smell that has been bothering residents of the Biltmore Avenue neighborhood for some time has prompted state regulators to issue a warning to the town.

According to Mayor Daniel McKee, the matter is already being addressed.
The stink is being made about a stink said to be emanating from the pumping station at Highland Corporate Park
In a letter dated Aug. 25, the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) gave the town notice that it had 10 days to inform DEM of its plans to take action.
At the same time, DEM warned the town that “formal enforcement action” could be taken if the odor is determined by state officials to be objectionable.
The letter indicated that DEM had received complaints from neighbors regarding a foul smell from Highland Park. Among the citizens working to draw attention to the problem was Adam Slesinger, founder of the online Web log CRAPD (Cumberland Residents Against Property Devaluing).
Slesinger states that he “has been trying to get the Town of Cumberland to give a crap about its residents since 2005.” On several occasions, Slesinger has formally brought the matter to the attention of municipal authorities. This time, he didn’t think he had to do much speaking.
“There’s not much more to say,” Slesinger said Tuesday. “The letter from the DEM is pretty clear. But it was a great thing for the DEM to send the letter out. It’s not just the residents complaining, it’s an entity that has authority.”
The smell is attributed to hydrogen sulfide gas from the pumping station. DEM’s letter states that its testing indicates the gas is present at levels exceeding 1,000 parts per million, or ppm.
Highland Corporate Park President Scott Gibbs was unavailable for comment. However, McKee said town officials had been in touch with park ownership regarding the problem. He stated further that Public Works Director Eugene Jeffers would be communicating with DEM regarding a solution, which the mayor said did not appear to be far in the future.
“We’re happy to have DEM involved,” McKee said. “Corrective action is what we’re doing and what we have been doing. Adam’s aware of what our action plan is, and we’re following it.”
That plan centers on a $1.5 million bond item to go before town voters in November. Those dollars will be earmarked for remediating the Highland Park odors.
In the meantime, McKee said town officials had spoken with the owners of the Highland property, who he said had offered to devise a remediation plan. The mayor expects to hear from them within 30 days.
McKee said it was not entirely clear how the costs of the project would be divided between the town and the property owner. The mayor also pointed out that it’s up to town voters to authorize funding for the project.
“For the people living near the property, it’s a (major) problem,” he acknowledged. “But we need the authorization of the voters, so that’s what we’re going to seek.”