100+ complaints, a mysterious chemical-like stench & now investigators say they're closing in on the source

More than 100 complaints have now been filed with the Cleveland Division of Air Quality, with each one questioning what that "pungent, leathery, chemical smell" is in Lakewood's air.

In late October, I first told you about Lakewood residents complaining of a smell at night that raised concerns.

Lakewood Councilmember Matt Bixenstine caught wind of it and began investigating himself.

"Started hearing from residents, particularly in the Birdtown neighborhood. ... And it's been kind of a steady stream of folks who've reported a chemical odor since then," Bixenstine told us on October 27. "Most of the complaints have come from the east end of Lakewood, the historic Birdtown neighborhood, but we have seen complaints from other areas of the city as well, and we've also heard from folks in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland."

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The Division of Air Quality told me then that it was still a mystery as to where the odor was originating.

Canisters have since been deployed and collected in an effort to test the air around Lakewood.

Cleveland Department of Public Health Director Dr. David Margolius told me the results from testing those canisters have yet to be finalized.

Additionally, Dr. Margolius said several air quality inspectors have been canvassing impacted neighborhoods.

"They've met with a number of industries that are in the area to try and figure out which ones are closely associated with that smell, which ones have started anything new, or which ones might be operating outside of their current permits," Dr. Margolius said on Monday.

I asked, "Have you all been able to pinpoint the source?"

"We're not there yet, but we have a number of suspicions," Dr. Margolius said. "We are close to being able to speak publicly about that at this time. We're continuing our investigation and don't want to quite tip our hand at this point."

If a business is found to be out of compliance with its permit or to have created a pollutant without the proper permit, that company will be penalized.

"I would say this is something that happens a few times a year on this large [of] a scale. It's been a couple of years since we've had an issue like this," Dr. Margolius said. "Most times when we find the culprit, we're able to redirect them without taking them to court or, you know, financial penalties. We're able to stop it at its source, and so we'll see what happens with this one."

Even though the department is getting closer to the truth, Dr. Margolius is still encouraging people to phone in their complaints.

To file a complaint with Air Quality Enforcement, call (216) 664-7442.

Each person who files a complaint will receive a callback from an inspector.

"We actually call back every individual who calls, and so, we're sorry if we haven't gotten to you yet, but we're still working through the backlog as we continue this investigation," Dr. Margolius said.