Middlesex County Landfill Causing Seriously Stinky Smells

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Blame the Middlesex County Landfill in East Brunswick for those noxious odors and gas smells that have been reported throughout East Brunswick, Sayreville and North Brunswick all December long, police say.

Residents in South River, Sayreville, Edison, Kendall Park and North Brunswick have all vociferously complained. To date, the Middlesex County Utilities Authority (MUA) has received more than 11 pages of documented complaints (you can read them all here). And on Thursday a middle school in North Brunswick was even evacuated due to fears about a gas leak. PSE&G responded, but turns out it was just the odor of decaying garbage from the landfill.

It smells like "rotten eggs," reported one resident of Pineridge Drive in East Brunswick on Dec. 20.

"Strong, intense fecal odors," reported another East Brunswick resident, this time on Devon Drive, on Dec. 15.

"Intense, decaying garbage odor," reported a Bailey Avenue, Sayreville resident Dec. 2. The MUA received eight odor complaints that day alone.

East Brunswick Twp. seems the community hardest hit. The landfill is located on Edgeboro Road in East Brunswick.

And don't expect the odors to go away until January: The Middlesex County Utilities Authority is in the middle of an ambitious capital project that changes the way methane gas is collected at the landfill. When it's completed, in January, the smell will actually be gone entirely, the MUA promises.

But until then, things may be pretty stinky in Middlesex County.

On Thursday, Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick was briefly evacuated as a precaution after someone at the school reported an odor of gas, North Brunswick police reported. PSE&G investigated and determined the source of the odor was not natural gas: It was actually just decaying garbage from the landfill.

"The Middlesex County Utilities Authority has advised Middlesex County residents that they may expect some unpleasant odors during the month of December," North Brunswick police warned. "The landfill is completing planned capital improvements to its gas collection system. It is anticipated this will result in less odor concerns in the future."

Shutterstock photo and Google photo of Linwood Middle School