Residents in a Kansas town say rotten-egg landfill odors bring headaches and fears of a fire below

In Galena, Kansas, people who live close to the landfill say daily life has become increasingly unpredictable, with bursts of noxious odor, trouble sleeping, and concern that a fire may be burning beneath the site.

The landfill sits near homes, a child care facility, and the town's historic Route 66 corridor.

What's happening?

According to High Plains Public Radio, residents say the smell from the Galena Landfill has intensified notably over the last two to three years.

Nearby resident Tammy Allen told the outlet the odor can suddenly seep into her house and is followed by headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

"The smells come and go, and you never know when they're going to hit," Allen said. "There's one that smells like a dirty garage … and there's one that smells like stale cigarette smoke."

Ashley Wells, the Galena resident who started the advocacy group Neighbors for Clean Air, said testing has detected hydrogen sulfide, a gas commonly associated with a rotten-egg smell.

"Each year, it just keeps getting worse," Wells told HPPR.

Residents, including Wells, have submitted complaints to local officials, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Two residents are also seeking federal court approval for a class-action lawsuit.

The landfill was certified in 1997 and later expanded in 2011 to receive debris from the deadly tornado in Joplin, Missouri. It is classified as a construction and demolition landfill, meaning it is not supposed to accept many types of household or hazardous waste and does not require a liner.

Why does it matter?

When a landfill sits just blocks from downtown and near places where children spend time, even intermittent odors can become a serious public health and quality-of-life concern.

The landfill's location is also part of Galena's longer contamination history. The area was heavily mined for lead and zinc, and parts of it were later designated as a Superfund cleanup site after decades of pollution in the soil and water.

Wells told HPPR that EPA testing on her property found lead levels high enough to require cleanup.

Residents have raised concerns that landfill fires, gases, or runoff could interact with already fragile ground conditions. They have also pointed to a propane tank explosion during an August 2025 landfill fire as evidence that materials not intended for a construction-and-demolition site may sometimes make their way in.

What's being done?

Through Neighbors for Clean Air, residents have organized around community concerns, pushed officials for answers, and urged a deeper investigation into what they describe as apparent hot spots at the landfill.

Wells said residents want more than surface-level inspections.

"We'd like to see a very thorough investigation," she told HPPR. "What could be going down into the shafts? What's going on underneath the surface?"

She added that neighbors have specifically asked for ground-penetrating radar to help determine the size and location of any potential underground fires.

The EPA has continued broader remediation work in the county and offers soil testing in the area, with contaminated soil removed and replaced when necessary.

Jordan Disposal LLC, which took over operations in 2019, said through a company representative that he could not comment because of pending litigation.

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