Northampton residents urge borough to block Cap Glass permit after years of foul odors

Dozens of Northampton residents told the Borough of Northampton council on Sept. 18 that nightly operations at a local glass recycling/processing facility they identified as Cap Glass have produced “dense, foul” odors and particulate matter for years and asked borough officials to deny the company’s pending proposal to relocate equipment.

The residents’ complaints, voiced during public comment, said the smell has repeatedly invaded yards, parks and school grounds, disrupted family gatherings and youth sports, and left neighbors feeling they have lost the ability to use outdoor spaces. “This is not some minor nuisance. The smell is so dense and foul that you cannot be outside,” said Mister Sharkeyzi, a Northampton resident, who read a compiled record of complaints and violations he said had been filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Residents said they have filed repeated DEP complaints. Sharkeyzi told the council he provided a complaint log “136 pages” long and a borough record showing 17 separate violations received since February 2016. He said Cap Glass had four malodor violations and one dust violation in September alone and that the company was applying to relocate equipment closer to neighboring developments, which would increase the area affected if approved.

“Many of my neighbors have also voiced concern about potential health effects,” said Sarah Alp, a Coventry Court resident. “No business should compromise the health, comfort, and quality of life of the surrounding community. Northhampton residents deserve better. We deserve clean air, a safe place to live and basic dignity of being able to enjoy our homes and neighborhoods without this constant burden.”

Other residents reiterated where they have smelled the emissions: the high school and middle school campuses, NAA softball fields, playgrounds, bus stops, and as far east as Savage Road and Main Street near the Wells Fargo branch. Tom Seedorf, who said he has lived on Buckingham Drive since before the plant was built, told council members the community has been fighting the issue for decades with little sustained relief.

Council members and borough staff responded that they heard residents’ concerns and outlined next steps. The mayor said he would write to DEP and invite the agency to meet locally to provide “transparency” and a timeline for enforcement: “We don't need lip service. We need to sit down with DEP and get an actual time line of what we can do and what it requires to make this happen,” he said. Borough Manager Wellsco (as identified in the meeting) and council members said staff would organize a roundtable with residents and DEP and would investigate the facility’s zoning history and any prior relief granted that allowed current operations.

Solicitor Attorney Stewart told the council he would review background records to determine what prior zoning relief the facility received and whether any future changes would require additional relief or public hearings. Stewart also told residents there was no pending application before the borough related to the company at the time of the meeting.

Residents asked for immediate action to stop nightly operations they said are timed to avoid detection and to deny any application that would move polluting equipment closer to homes. Council members said they will pursue a meeting with DEP, coordinate a local roundtable including resident representatives, and continue a record review to determine what municipal approvals exist. No formal regulatory decision or vote on permitting by the borough occurred at the meeting.

The matter remains under investigation by borough staff and the solicitor, and residents were urged to continue filing DEP complaints and to participate in the planned roundtable so borough officials and state regulators can assess next steps.