Sherwin-Williams Facility Negligently Releases Noxious Odors into Residential Area, Class Action Lawsuit Claims

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company’s Rochester, Pennsylvania coatings manufacturing plant releases noxious odors directly into a nearby residential area, depriving residents of the use and enjoyment of their properties and adversely impacting property values.

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According to the 18-page lawsuit, Sherwin-Williams has failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that noxious odors from volatile organic compounds used in its coating manufacturing facility at 372 Cleveland St. in Rochester are not negligently released into the surrounding areas.  

Per the suit, solvents used in the facility for paint formulation, paint thinning, and cleanup generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or a group of potentially odorous air pollutants that the case says can be mitigated through management of the coating formulation process, installation of air pollution capture and removal systems such as thermal oxidizers, and proper storage of materials. The filing says that a properly maintained, operated and managed coatings facility will capture and prevent VOCs from escaping into the ambient air around the facility.

The environmental lawsuit says that the Sherwin-Williams facility operates under a permit that specifically forbids emission of “malodorous air contaminants” that are detectable outside of the property on which the facility is located. However, the suit states that numerous complaints have been filed by nearby residents about the offensive, noxious odors emanating from the coatings manufacturing facility.

Moreover, the class action lawsuit relays that more than 45 households contacted the plaintiffs’ counsel with documentation related to the alleged nuisance created by emissions from the facility.   

One resident quoted in the complaint said that her children have difficulty playing outside due to the smell, saying that “[i]t smells so bad you can taste it,” while others reported nausea, vomiting, headaches and other physical symptoms from the intensity of the odor. Residents described the smell as “sweet…that actually has an aftertaste” and “chemical,” per the lawsuit.

The lawsuit says that Sherwin-Williams’ improper management of the coatings manufacturing plant has interfered with the plaintiffs’ and proposed class members’ ability to freely use and enjoy their properties, and calls the odors “indecent and offensive” to individuals with “ordinary sensibilities.”

Further, emissions from the Sherwin-Williams facility “obstruct the free use of plaintiffs’ and class member properties so as to substantially and unreasonably interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property,” the suit stresses. The complaint adds that the plaintiffs and proposed class members are unable to utilize outdoor spaces, open windows, or invite guests to their homes due to the “embarrassment and annoyance” of the noxious odors.

The lawsuit adds that the Sherwin-Williams facility has received notice of “numerous and continuing” violations from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for emissions-related problems. The most recent violation, from March 24, 2026, cited “failure to operate and maintain a source or control device in accordance with the specifications,” the case says. 

The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company class action lawsuit seeks to cover all owner-occupants or renters of residential property who are located within a one-mile radius of the facility at any time within the applicable statute of limitations.

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