SPARTA, Mich. — A manufactured home community in Sparta is drawing some attention after several residents reached out to 13 ON YOUR SIDE about a horrible smell of human waste.
Our team looked more into what was going on, and spoke to both residents and management about the situation.
People living at Glenwood Estates said the smell was coming from a lagoon that sits behind the park, and this year has been worse because the trees surrounding it were cut down. Management said this happens every year, and that it is a natural process.
"It's like we live right next to the septic tank now, and it's a terrible smell," said Bernie Kasnowicz, who's been living in this community for 12 years and said the smell has never been a problem previously.
"It's been a very clean, safe, peaceful park and I enjoyed staying here," he said, "but now it's become such a nasty smell which we've never experienced before."
He said the increased smell came after most of the trees surrounding the lagoon were removed this year.
"Ever since those woods have been clear cut, it's nothing but putrid smells inside our house," said resident Tony Ringersma, "and it even lingers inside of our car."
Ringersma's home sits right in front of the lagoon, and he's concerned about his young daughter and pregnant wife breathing in fumes from the human waste.
"We usually can't even be outside," he said, "and since this started, we've been staying with my in-laws almost 25 miles away."
His next door neighbor, Kylie Smith, was emotional talking about how it has affected her life.
"My 7-year-old wanted to play outside, but when he got out of the car he said he couldn't play out there because he felt nauseous," Smith said. "It's just really sad to watch him have to sit inside after a long winter."
Ringersma said he felt like nobody was listening to them and their concerns.
"We've talked to management, we've talked to the township, and even the E.P.A.," he said, "but they still didn't seem to care."
In a statement sent to 13 ON YOUR SIDE, the owner of Glenwood Estates, Rob Calkins, said the following:
"Every spring, when the snow/ice melts off the water, the trapped gases are released causing an odor. This is a natural process that happens in the environment and lasts a couple weeks then goes away. Glenwood Estates was finally able to get the approval to build a new wastewater treatment plant that will cost around 2.5 Million dollars. Glenwood water/sewer is monitored on a regular basis. I'm not sure why residents don't call the office and ask what's going on. However, several people are currently angry with the park as we just did a huge cleanup and forced residents to clean up their yard. Our employees even went around the park this past Saturday allowing residents to throw their items in the dump trailer and we placed them in the dumpster as part of our effort to help the residents out.
If you come out to speak to these individuals, please take a look at their surroundings as we have just sent out 30 day notices and warnings for yard cleanup at the beginning of the month."
Kasnowicz said they were never warned that the trees would be cut down, and he wishes there was some kind of net, or wall built to block out the smell from the lagoon.
"I just don't understand how you can have a septic tank here and we live here," he said. "It's not healthy."
According to health experts from the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, exposure to elevated levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in the air can cause coughing, irritation, nose, headaches, nausea and breathing difficulties. These effects usually go away once the exposure is stopped.
"They need to start treating us like we are decent human beings," said Smith. "We pay our rent on time, we take care of our property, and all we ask for is that they take care of us as people and give us our basic needs."
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