The Jefferson County Health Board meets to discuss odor complaints concerning the Apex Landfill in Amsterdam.

STEUBENVILLE — A Jefferson County General Health District official told the health board on Tuesday that odor complaints continue to be an issue, originating from the 288-acre Apex Landfill in Amsterdam.

Marc Maragos, director of environmental health, said 27 calls have come to the odor complaint hotline during June, 10 of which were verified, and 36 complaints have been received so far in July. He said representatives at Apex understand the continued complaints are unacceptable, and the topic was addressed at the tour and during a call department environmental staff had with Apex representatives last week.

Time will tell if the issue improves, Maragos said.

Maragos thanked health board members Suzanne Brown and Anthony Mougianis for attending an informational meeting and tour at Apex.

Mougianis said, “There’s a lot of misconception in our community. … (Apex) is quite an operation. … I feel much more confident in what they’re doing out there than ever.”

Dr. Patrick Macedonia, board president, said, “The technology out there (at Apex) is great, but it doesn’t answer the smell. … I’m not satisfied with the results. … This stuff stinks, and it’s not fair to the people who live out there.”

Macedonia said Maragos should “be very expressive of our dissatisfaction” in a phone call with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Separately, Maragos said his staff was working with the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District on the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund. The grant funds will be used to repair 15 failing septic systems in the county owned by residents who cannot afford to fix or repair the systems themselves, Maragos said.

In his health commissioner’s report, Andrew Henry said the health department is juggling its community outreach work with efforts to gain accreditation — state-mandated for health departments — through the Public Health Accreditation Board.

One step toward that end was a diversity, equity and inclusion terms presented to the board, the approval of which is “one of the key pieces of accreditation,” Henry said. He added that some of the terms on the form, which was prepared by the health department, are “polarizing.”

Macedonia said he is not opposed to having a list of terms, but he expressed opposition to the form’s “confusing” gender identity content. He also said it is not clear how far the department would extend its list of terms in that regard.

Kelly Wilson, director of finance and administration, said adopting a terms list is necessary for accreditation. The board is free to change the terms list, which she said is in the middle regarding length compared to other health department lists.

The board agreed to table the form, in favor of discussing it at an administration committee meeting and reporting back in August.