Air quality investigators are pursuing several possible sources of a persistent chemical odor reported in Lakewood, where residents have filed more than 100 complaints with the Cleveland Division of Air Quality. Officials say the investigation is advancing, although they have not yet pinpointed what is causing the smell.
Residents described the odor as pungent, leathery and chemical-like. Reports of the smell at night drew attention in late October and prompted Lakewood Councilmember Matt Bixenstine to investigate after hearing concerns from people in the city.
Speaking on October 27, Bixenstine said complaints had arrived steadily, particularly from residents of Birdtown, the historic neighborhood on Lakewood's east side. Most reports came from that area, but people elsewhere in Lakewood and in Cleveland's West Park neighborhood also reported the odor.
At that stage, the Division of Air Quality said the origin remained unknown. Since then, investigators have placed and retrieved canisters to sample air around Lakewood. Cleveland Department of Public Health Director Dr. David Margolius said the laboratory results from those samples had not yet been finalized.
Inspectors have also been visiting affected neighborhoods and meeting with nearby industries. Margolius said Monday that those discussions were intended to determine which operations might be associated with the odor, whether any had introduced new activities and whether any might be operating beyond the terms of their existing permits.
Asked whether investigators had identified the source, Margolius said they had several suspicions but were not ready to disclose them. “We're not there yet, but we have a number of suspicions,” he said. He added that officials were close to discussing their findings publicly but wanted to protect the continuing investigation.
A company found to have violated its permit or produced a pollutant without the required permit would face penalties. Margolius said that in most previous cases, officials had persuaded the responsible operators to correct the problem and stop the odor at its source without court proceedings or financial penalties.
Margolius urged residents to continue reporting the smell while investigators work. Complaints can be submitted to Air Quality Enforcement at (216) 664-7442. Every caller will receive a return call from an inspector, he said, although staff members are still working through a backlog alongside the investigation.
