What to do, when my neighbour stacks Creosote treated timber within a couple of metres from my home?

Over the long weekend, I noticed a distinct odour of 'Bitumen' around, and within my home. As I live on a busy road, at first I presumed it was exhaust emissions from trucks going by.


When the fumes persisted coming in through my windows (bathroom, bedroom, and laundry end) I realised it must be coming from next door! He is regularly building, and using noisy tools for prolonged periods, and on more than one previous occasion, I have suffered through intensely toxic fumes from his wood sealing. By Monday, the odours were really concerning me, and I rang the Environment Bay of Plenty 'Pollution Hot Line' feeling something must be done.(My neighbour works for this organisation). I logged my complaint, and the feedback that I got was basically, that the neighbour had purchased some creosote treated garden stakes from a garden centre, he had a pile of these, and was going to shift them, and cover them up. I was also told that they were not "toxic" - my initial reaction to the 'fumes.'

What to do, when my neighbour stacks Creosote treated timber within a couple of metres from my home?
its not toxic, the smell of creosote is not as bad as cow, pig or chicken dung so count your lucky stars neighbour hasn't got a farm! life's to short shut your windows and relax your doing your health no good by stressing about things that can't be avoided, if you ain't gonna die from it, then it doesn't matter. thank you for not being my neighbour. lol
Reply:Im not trying to be smart but did you try closing your windows, and talking directly to your neighbor. Tell him you appreciate his gardening hoby and dont mind the stakes but you would like for him to consider covering them with a tarp or plastic bag or wrap. You can offer to buy this for him if he would trade you some of his fine veggies hes growing.





No need to feel like he's your enemy, or that he is an advisary. You both want the same thing to live in peace. The plastic can be like a painters plastic usually less than $5.00 to no more than $20 for a bigger type tarp at a hardware paint or tool store around here. . Hes just a neighbor and I bet if you made him this offer you'd be getting tommatoes and the like all summer and may be even some to can for Christmas.





As far as I know creosote isnt directly harmful while its curing like your discribing so dont sweat that. Just be polite and tell him you didnt mean to cause him and problems but you had concerns and now you'd like to help him seal them and you just thought it would be a good way to help him out and yourself. Just ask him if you got the plastic if he would help you cover the stakes up. Then ask him if he wouldnt mind trading you getting a few tomatoes (or what ever he has that you like or can use) to cover the cost of the tarp. If your going to buy what hes growing anyway, why not let him feel like hes doing a great job and hes helping you out as well? You both get what you want/need and your better neighbors too.





Would this work? Thats for you and the neighbor to try and work out.
Reply:Have you talked to him about this. He may not even be aware that it bothers you.
Reply:It may not be toxic, but a smell can be a "nuisance", and you have every right to ask him to move the stuff and/or cover it to reduce the smell.





If you were in the U.S., I'd advise you to SUE! :-)
Reply:Creosote is toxic to some vegetation...if the lumber is on his property, you can politely ask him to move it away from your area since the smell is so bad...he's not obligated to do so, but might consider it, if in fact he is a good neighbor and you don't come across as a bit*** neighbor.





I wish you well!
Reply:It's hard to believe anyone is still using anything coated with creosote - and yet I do believe it. I would have hit the roof when I was told creosote was "not toxic," because that's just not true at all.





Have you tried talking to this neighbor? You could tell him you have a "chemical sensitivity" if that would help. (You do - you are sensitive to the effects his chemicals have on your quality of life.)





There is always one neighbor who doesn't seem to know other people exist, isn't there?

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