Living near a landfill...

[ServantOfKing]

Does anyone have any experience or advice regarding living near a landfill?
We're looking at a nice rental place... However, it's about 1/2 a mile from the entrance to a landfill. The landfill is only used now for construction waste (asbestos is dumped there) and also if individuals want to pay to bring their trash there. It's not actively used by the city/ county anymore.
We're kind of concerned about health factors as well as the noise and smell. We plan on talking to people who live around the area, but any experience or advice would be great.
Thanks :-D

 

[HokieAirman]

Ashley,
I'd be wary of living near any dump site or military, industrial or governmental research site. Don't think I'd live right next to the site you say, but a few miles off is probably OK. Also, there are websites where you can check out the prevailing winds in an area and live upwind if it makes you more comfortable.

Working in the Air Force Medical Construction industry, I can tell you, that we now take asbestos very seriously. If we find it in any of our old buildings, you can count on thousands of dollars added to any given project to dispose of it safely (think E.T. and the men in white suits). Most of the HAZMAT where you are is probably encapsulated, but it never hurts to be too cautious and check everything out.

-Jeremy

 

[TimV]

Ours is only a couple miles from the ocean, so there are swarms of seagulls and other birds, and their droppings are so bad that they have to constantly fire off explosions to scare them away, and they've even hired a falconer. A half mile isn't very far, and I'd check to see about prevailing wind patterns as well as bird flight paths.