I recently moved to York County PA to look after my elderly mother. My apartment building ended up being very close to a Post Office with a malfunctioning natural gas heating system that fills our area with toxic fumes. We are also near a 25,000 square foot custom cabinetry factory that emits noxious, solvent fumes where my son and other children wait for their school bus. To add to matters, a large dry cleaning plant adjoins our property, and there is also constant car exhaust from the busy road we live on.
I have asthma as does the child who lives next door. I am also chemically sensitive. We can't open our windows except on Sundays. I don't know how I am going to cool my apartment this summer since I don't want to draw the solvent fumes into my home with window AC units.
I have asked our borough for help, and they have refused stating that the businesses are "legal non-conforming" (not in the correct zoning for their purpose) because they existed before the current codes were in effect.
