Food Waste Facility Cleaning Up Smelly Storage Spill

CHARLOTTE, NC — “They just need to clean it up, cause it stinks. It’s really bad,” said local worker Lyle Baker.

People working near Orbit Energy on Johnston Road in North Charlotte are finally breathing a sigh of relief.

“Today is the first day, this afternoon actually, that the odor has been gone,” said worker Mitchell Carpenter.

Orbit Energy converts food waste into energy. County officials say the company reported a storage container spill on October 24th.  A spill that workers nearby on West Craighead Road near North Graham Street say has been unbearable.

“At break time we go to eat, it’s hard to eat with that smell coming in here,” said Baker.

“Coworkers with headaches, obviously upset stomach, some have gone to the doctor because the smell, so it’s been a rough couple weeks,” said Carpenter.

WCCB Charlotte first reported the foul smell last weekend after a nearby worker reached out asking for help. Since then the county fined Orbit Energy for violating the odor ordinance and says there are now two remediation companies working to haul out the liquids and solids and get rid of the smell. A long time coming if you ask Mitchell Carpenter.

“This is Day 11, so obviously it’s taken 11 days to get to this point, and from what I hear it’s supposed to be cleaned up by the end of the weekend,” said Carpenter.

On top of the smell, Carpenter says they worry what is in what they’ve been breathing.

“It actually smells like raw sewage, and that’s our big concern. And if they’re using bacteria to turn this food waste into energy, then is this bacteria out floating in the air?” said Carpenter.