Foul Odor Traced to WSSC Site In Maryland

"Less than a pickup truck load" of waste was deposited on the field, he said. "I didn't notice any strong odor."

Officials at the Maryland Department of the Environment said inspectors will visit the site in coming days to ensure that it complies with regulations and a July consent decree.

Under the decree, reached with state and federal environmental regulators and the U.S. Justice Department, the commission agreed to improve sewer treatment systems and plans to prevent sewage overflows into waterways.

Richard McIntire, a spokesman for the Environment Department, said inspectors had visited the Capitol Heights area when they received complaints about the odor in September and October. But they had been unable to determine the source, he said. The department could issue warnings or fines if the WSSC is found to have improperly dumped waste, he said.

D.C. Council member Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), who held a hearing on the issue Oct. 6 and pushed city officials to find the source, said she was relieved by the report's findings.

"It's appalling," Schwartz said. "I'm just glad the situation is now rectified. I'm relieved that the odor, while certainly troublesome, was not caused by something truly hazardous."

Staff writer Nia-Malika Henderson contributed to this report.