Results Of Survey About Dust, Noise And Acrid Smell At Southern End Of Smith Street Indicate Real Quality Of Life Issue For Local Residents

 

For more than a year now, an acrid, chemical smell around the Smith and 9th Street subway station has concerned nearby residents.
PMFA first received an email in March of 2014 from a reader who asked if anyone else in the community had complained about the strong industrial odor, which apparently is "different than anything we have had in the area before."
After posting about the stench, quite a few people commented that they had called 311 and/or the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to report the problem.

 The smell, however, persisted throughout 2015.  Earlier this year, another resident who lives near the intersection, reached out to PMFA to report that "the  smell has been on and off during the winter months" and that "when that oil/petroleum smell is in the air, it is overwhelming and strong enough to smell inside if you don't shut and lock all windows for those of us who live nearby."

The resident mentioned a  conversation he had with a firefighter from the  Hamilton Avenue fire station.  Apparently, the station responds to "multiple calls a week about the smell because the caller either didn't know what it was or didn't know who else to call."

And smell is not the only issue at the corner of 9th Street and Smith Street.  Noise and dust from nearby businesses are also contributing factors.

Worried about health concerns, a small group of residents organized earlier this year to bring awareness to these quality of life issues. Hoping to gather supporting data, the group circulated a survey entitled "Smith Street Stank, Dust And Noise."

The results of the survey are now complete. About 180 people took the time to respond to the various questions. The data seems to clearly show that smell, noise and dust are a problem on that end of Smith Street.
The results of the survey will be presented by local residents to Community Board 6 at its general meeting being held at the Old First Reformed Church, 729 Carroll Street.  The meeting starts at 6:30 PM.