Residents who live near a private landfill in southern Utah say months of smoke, dust, and bad odors from a fire at the site have upended daily life, as state officials seek penalties against the operator.
What happened?
At the center of the dispute is the ONP Purgatory private landfill in Washington City, where Utah regulators and nearby homeowners are challenging conditions at the site, according to KUTV.
According to state allegations, a fire started at the landfill around June 22, 2025. Regulators say the incident was not properly reported, while nearby residents began complaining about smoke, blowing dust, odors and breathing irritation.
UDEQ said it started receiving public reports on July 25. KUTV said a later Washington City Fire Department investigation documented "elevated levels of smoke, smoldering debris, odors, and charred waste."
On Sept. 17, the Utah Division of Air Quality said it observed fugitive dust at the property and alleged the facility "was not implementing controls to prevent fugitive dust."
In its Jan. 20, 2026 legal complaint, UDEQ alleged that ONP "failed to extinguish or otherwise control the fire that continues to burn at the Facility." The agency also said it continued "to receive complaints from members of the public about the abhorrent odor, fugitive dust, and airborne irritants from the Facility causing their nasal passages, throats, and lungs to burn."
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Among the remedies the state wants are injunctive relief, a requirement that the company extinguish the fire as soon as reasonably possible, and civil penalties of up to $13,000 per day until it complies.
Why does it matter?
For people in Sunrise Valley, which KUTV described as about a third of a mile from the landfill, the issue has stretched on for more than a year and, residents say, remains a health concern.
A petition signed by more than 300 people describes impacts that include headaches, congestion and mornings made "unbearable" to be outside.
Britain Reynolds, a Washington City resident, told KUTV, "We have routine nosebleeds most mornings now since the fire began. I have been having severe heart palpitations."
Resident Lori Farmer added, "I have had irritated eyes and throat since moving here."
What's being done?
Regulators are seeking to have the fire put out and to collect daily fines until the site comes into compliance.
At the local level, residents want Washington City to intervene. KUTV reported that they asked the city to designate the landfill a nuisance under local code, which incorporates broad state definitions that include anything "injurious to health" or "offensive to the senses" or something that "affects the rights of an entire community or neighborhood."
In writing, neighbors requested three specific steps: implement air quality and dust monitoring, explore abatement options for odors and emissions — including possible license revocation — and pursue all other remedies available under city and state law.
"The health of my children matter. This needs to change," resident Rozalynn Rowbury said.
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