After hearing yet another round of complaints from citizens this week about the odor and other problems coming from the REEF facility near Sylacauga, County Commissioners promised to take steps looking into the problem.

So far, while much has been promised in the past, little has been actually done to remedy the problem.

Originally, residents living in property adjacent to the operation at an old Avondale Mills wastewater treatment facility complained about an odor emanating from the plant.

As time went by, those complaints grew, not just in numbers as the fumes affected a larger portion of Sylacauga and surrounding parts of Talladega County, but also in the severity of the problem. Residents said they were dealing with a wide range of health problems, from respiratory issues to headaches and worse. They said the smell was so bad it was making living in the area almost unbearable and the fumes were damaging property — discoloring vehicles and plumbing fixtures in homes.

The residents and Sylacauga have taken the matter to court, but legal proceedings are not moving quickly enough to address the problem.

REEF officials said they had a fix in place — a dome over part of the operation — but it tore releasing fumes. That’s an explanation of why the odor has gotten worse, but it’s not a valid excuse.

While we respect the right of company owners to conduct business, that right ends when it infringes to this extent on the quality of life of the people living nearby.

County officials made strong promises to find a solution — everything from getting the Alabama Department of Environmental Management involved to looking at safety limits for bridges leading to the property. What’s more, the commissioners said they want the environmental reports delivered in writing.

That’s good news for residents. While the odor needs to be eliminated, citizens living near REEF have a right to know what they have been exposed to and about any potential health hazards they are facing.

Likewise, if the operators of the facility have knowingly broken state or federal environmental regulations or put residents or their property in harm’s way with their business, they need to be held accountable.

We only hope the Commission will stand behind its promises and make sure this problem is dealt with once and for all.