BELLAIRE, OH -- A mysterious smell has been lingering around numerous neighborhoods in one local community, and now residents want to know where that odor is coming from and if it's dangerous.

The Belmont County Emergency Management agency is leading the effort to find out the source of the smell. The Ohio EPA has also been notified of the problem.

Neighbors living along Hospital Road in Bellaire describe the smell as putrid. They say the smell has been floating into the area of Hospital Road, Trumbull Road and Belleview Heights for the past two months.

During the day the air smells fine, but at night neighbors say the odor is nauseating. Neighbors say the strong odor will start on various evenings around 9:00 p.m., and linger there sometimes until morning.

Some say they have to lock themselves inside at night to keep the smell away, and the odor sometimes even makes them sick.

"Anytime you get something so strong it causes a raw throat there is something in there that is not too good for you," said one resident. "So, until we find out what is causing it, it is a concern."

Neighbors say they do have some ideas on the potential source, but environmental authorities have not made any determinations.

Members of the EMA and EPA were unavailable for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Jill Del Greco, NEWS9