Some residents in Hunts Point and select surrounding neighborhoods claim they have for years been plagued by a foul smell in the air.

"You can't keep your window open on certain days," says Rolando Marin.

For years, he and his neighbors in Longwood and Hunts Point say they have been dealing with the awful stench. It's so bad that Marin says the pervasive lingering smell -- akin to rotten meat -- leaves him holding his breath.

Marin lives about a mile from the Department of Environmental Protection's wastewater treatment plant in Hunts Point. City Councilman Rafael Salamanca says waste collected by the plant is transferred by trucks and brought to the Oak Point rail yard, where it is eventually hauled away.

The problem, Salamanca says, is that the tarp used is filled with holes that allow the odor to escape. He claims the waste-filled freights are left for hours at the yard until they're removed.

The councilman has introduced a bill to help contain the smell. It would require every tractor-trailer hauling the waste to have a smell-proof container.

Salamanca says he recently met with the DEP, which seemed to be in favor of his legislation.

News 12 reached out to the DEP for comment but did not hear back.