They love living in the country for the fresh air, but dozens of homeowners say life stinks now that an ethanol by-product is being dumped in the Douglas County Landfill.

It's not what Tom Jizba can see that concerns him about the county landfill two miles west of his house at 192nd Street and Highway 36. It's the intermittent smell coming from a gypsum disposal pit on the backside of the dump.

"There's somewhat of a rotten egg smell, but there is also a chemical smell to it and you can't catch your breath."

Gypsum is left over after corn goes through a lactic acid process at the Blair Cargill plant. On some days, 600 tons of the by-product is spread in the pit and covered over at the Douglas County Landfill managed by Waste Management's Scott O'Neill.

"I've brought my own children on site around here and I wouldn't do that if I had concerns about health care safety."

Cargill pays nearly $100,000 a year to dispose the by-product in the Douglas County landfill. Residents worry the odor is a warning sign of polluted air they have to breathe.

"If you smell this once, it's once too many times,” says Gregg Classen. “It irritates the eyes, burns the nasal passages."

Concern over the potential environmental hazard isn't just about people, but also livestock. Horses graze every day less than a mile from the gypsum dump site.

A wet spring caused more odor that normal to drift from the gypsum pit.

“I'm satisfied that they are going to extraordinary lengths to address the problem,” says Douglas County Board member Clare Duda. “I do not know if what they are doing is enough."

Last week, state environmental experts took air samples that landfill managers say proves the odor from the pit is at safe levels. But neighbors claim that doesn't smell right to them.

Waste Management has spent more than $250,000 to reduce the odor problem. In a statement, Cargill says, “We are concerned about odor complaints from neighbors. We believe the odors have been substantially reduced.”

The Douglas County Board will hear all sides of the dispute at a hearing Tuesday morning.