JACKSON TWP — Residents on Textor Hill Road and MarkWest Energy are in talks to try and remedy a smelly issue that has persisted for about a month.

Homeowners say they have endured manure odor from a dairy farm owned by John Bame.

The residents took the matter to the township supervisors Thursday evening.

The 60-acre dairy farm was built along the road in August and has nearly 80 cattle. The farm operates seven days a week and has trucks driving in and out daily.

Bame’s dairy farm operates on property owned by MarkWest.

The only barrier separating the farm from the homes is the road itself.

“Since the cattle have moved into the farm, the quality of our home life has severely diminished,” Shelly Behr told the supervisors.

The homeowners met with MarkWest and Bame Tuesday to discuss the issue. The township said MarkWest and Bame will be looking at ways to limit the odor.

“This is something we can engage in much more quickly,” said township manager Chris Rearick.

Behr, along with her husband, Jeff, and children have lived there for nearly eight years.

The Behrs along with other residents on the road said the smell emitting from the manure has caused nausea and headaches. They said sometimes the smell is so pungent that they have to “completely leave the house.”

Manure from the cattle goes through a pipe system into a fenced-in, open manure pit.

Residents also are concerned about the possibility of having decreased values for their homes from the odor, surrounding development and the presence of two gas well sites on Textor Hill and Hartmann Roads.

The Behrs said they have had their home on the market for more than two years.

“We have invested thousands of dollars in landscaping, decks and patios to enjoy the outdoors, and now can’t even go outside to eat a meal, have a bonfire with guests, grill or play in the yard,” Behr said. “We have had to close up our house almost every day.”

“We’re just losing money hand over fist on our homes,” said Linda Himber, who also lives on Textor Hill Road. “You feel like jumping out of your skin.”

Residents also expressed concern over the possibility of water contamination. Each home has well water.

In a letter to the township, Behr said the ordinances allowing the farm are “completely irresponsible.”

“To allow a dairy farm of this magnitude to be placed that close to the existing homes that were already there shows that you as a township have not held in regard or protected our rights and financial interests of the residents of your township,” Behr said.

However, the dairy farm does meet township ordinances and is agricultural. Rearick said the definition for what the state calls a “normal” agricultural operation is broad.

“That’s one of the challenges for local government. Sometimes, for better or for worse, agriculture is afforded a fairly wide latitude in terms of environmental impact, erosion control and so forth,” Rearick said. “It’s something we need to research to see what latitude we have.”

Supervisor Chairman Ron Lutz said the situation is “not fair.”

Himber said, “We need to be protected, simple as that.”

Jeff Behr said he has tried talking to Bame about controlling the spread of the odor such as planting a line of trees.

However, talks have gone nowhere.

Bame had no comments when asked by the Butler Eagle.

Jeff Behr told the supervisors, “We’re being impacted heavily by this development. We went from sound to sight to smell.”

The Behrs say they plan to plant 15 trees in their front yard in an attempt to block the odor from the farm.