Several neighbors near a farm in Lower Towamensing Township were up in arms last week at the supervisors meeting. The problem? The stench.

Terry Kuehner, one of the neighbors, said the biosolids on the Johnson farm are sewage. He told the supervisors that the sewage was dumped on the ground at the farm on Hahns Dairy Road in June. The smell was so strong that it made their eyes burn.

“The flies became numerous,” he said. “People were afraid to come out of their homes.”

Kuehner said the situation is a health concern because the “sewage” contains things like virus pathogens, E. coli, salmonella and metals, and it will contaminate the soil and water that runs off the ground.

He said he notified the state Department of Environmental Protection in July and was told that Troy Johnson was issued a permit for the material and it is in compliance.

Kuehner said the sewage is making people sick.

“We need an immediate cease and desist order,” he said.

Brent Green, the chairman of the supervisors, said that the state controls regulations involving environmental issues.

“We cannot legally regulate sewage,” he said.

Troy Johnson was not at the meeting to speak for himself.

Steve Youngkin, who also was bothered by the smell, said that the material that was put down on the fields is a Class B biosolid.

Green didn’t know who Johnson purchased the biosolids from, but Synagro Biosolids, headquartered in Baltimore, had information about Class B biosolids on its website.

The cleanest biosolid is Class A. This product can be used on ground where public contact is likely. It is also used on home lawns and in potting soils. There is no foul smell, and it has to meet strict stabilization requirements and a low-level metal content.

Class B biosolids are treated to destroy 99.99% of the monitored organisms. The document also stated that there can be an odor similar to manure, but the smell is temporary.

The neighbors attending the meeting said that the smell was not temporary, but lasted for weeks.

Youngkin said he thinks there wouldn’t be a problem if the farmer tilled the biosolids into the ground, but instead he just lets it sit on top of the ground.

The supervisors said they would contact the DEP and request a copy of the permit, and contact state legislators to see if municipalities can have more control of these types of problems.

Green said, “I have no problem challenging the regulations to make sure it’s safe for the residents.”