Nose burning? WM says to take Benedryl.
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On the morning of 4/12/18, a local resident went for a run, and encountered what he believes to be strong landfill/H2S odors at the corner of 31F and Wakeman, near the new cell tower. This resident is not a Facebook user, nor a member of the FAFE closed Facebook group.
After running the 0.25 mile back home, this resident experienced a noticeable burning in his nasal passages and throat. At that time the resident decided to call a Waste Management number, which they were led to believe redirected to a staff member at High Acres.
The staff member took note of the resident's "strong concern" and let them know that the complaint would be escalated. The staff member began to call the resident by their first and last name, which was not provided during the call. The staff member also asked for confirmation on whether or not the resident had checked that FAFE complaint/pin map prior to calling in.
When pressed for advice on how to handle the situation, the staff member recommended taking Benadryl to address the symptoms. And, when further pressed for the safety precautions taken on the working face of the landfill, the staff member declined to provide information on what protective gear or breathing equipment was provided for workers.
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FAFE, Inc. is by no means doctors nor can we confirm or deny whether Benadryl is the appropriate response to this resident's issues. However, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - H2S Hazards, the following are common health issues experienced with H2S (a gas associated with problematic landfills):
- Low concentrations – irritation of eyes, nose, throat, or respiratory system; effects can be delayed.
- Moderate concentrations – more severe eye and respiratory effects, headache, dizziness, nausea, coughing, vomiting and difficulty breathing.
- High concentrations – shock, convulsions, unable to breathe, coma, death; effects can be extremely rapid (within a few breaths).
As of April 12th, this story is still developing