Residents of Dundalk, a riverside suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, have voiced fury at an overpowering sewage-like odour they blame on failures at the nearby Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. At a heated town hall meeting, locals described being unable to sit outside, open windows or eat crabs caught from the river, with some saying the stench has made them fear for their health. The row matters because it highlights long-running infrastructure and regulatory failings affecting public health, local business and quality of life in a community known for its seafood.

A Maryland Department of the Environment inspection blamed the smell on operational problems dating back to May, including improperly processed sludge in lagoon tanks and elevated pollutant discharges, and ordered the plant to clear waste build-up and remove all sewage sludge by 1 September. Republican state delegate Robert Long urged residents to appeal their property tax bills in protest and has asked federal environmental regulators for help, while Baltimore's Department of Public Works says it has drawn up an odour control plan, with results from an engineering review of the plant's systems expected by early next year.