LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Residents at a Lackawanna mobile home park have been living with mountains of garbage spilling out of a dumpster for a month, creating health hazards and affecting their quality of life.
"This is hazardous. Some days when I try to get my garbage there, there are rodents peeking out, coming out. I'm scared to get bitten," Lupe Balzac said.
The overflowing trash has created unbearable conditions for residents of the Dona Street mobile home community, especially during the summer heat.
WATCH: 'This is hazardous': Lackawanna residents living with overflowing garbage finally get help
"I can't even sit outside. I got to keep my windows closed because I can smell this," Marion Kesick said.
"It makes me feel sick. I don't want to end up back in the hospital again. I had a nervous breakdown already," Kesick said.
Residents say they've been calling their landlord daily and have also reached out to Lackawanna City Hall and the Erie County Health Department without success.
"She doesn't have to live like this. We do," Balzac said, referring to their landlord.
After weeks of frustration, Balzac contacted our newsroom. "It's been a week. I've been trying to get a hold of anybody, so I said, well, I'm gonna try Channel 7. So they could hear my voice."
When I visited the property, the situation was dire. The dumpster was completely overflowing with garbage, surrounded by bees, flies, and yellow jackets. Some trash bags had been torn open by animals, creating an obvious health hazard.
I contacted the landlord, Terry, who explained she inherited responsibility for the property after her boyfriend, the original landlord, died.
"I'm trying to do the best I can. I'm 85 years old, I'm really struggling. And I'm trying to get someone else, like his daughter, to take over, so it's just taking time," Terry said.
After our inquiry, Terry called back to confirm she had set up a new account with Waste Management, who scheduled a pickup for Tuesday.
"Thank you so much for your help. I think with this something will happen," Balzac said.
We will continue to follow this story and provide updates on the situation.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
