Nunn moved to Mancos two years ago. He said he's constantly battling the fine dust. He grabbed a handful from the back of a trailer bed in his backyard on Monday, the steady whir of the factory in the background.
"I can get used to the noise, that's not a problem," Nunn said. "But since I moved here, I have a cough that won't go away."
Bernadette Tuthill explained that being outside on a windy day is hard on her eyes.
She had a hard time not rubbing her eyes Monday when explaining the situation. She rubbed dust off of her car hood, leaving a trail behind her fingers.
"I know they have been trying to make things better, but that has been what they have been saying for years, and it is just getting worse," she said.
Celeste Aurorean said the fine particles of straw in the air concern her.
"The straw is certified weed-free, which means it has been sprayed with herbicides. We've been breathing this day in and out," she said.
Chip Tuthill, chairman of the Concerned Residents of Riverside, pleaded with the board to do something.
"We are asking the town to take action to protect the health and well-being of Mancos citizens," he said.
Board Trustee Will Stone told the residents he was under the impression that Western Excelsior was working on the problem.
"I can sympathize with the residents. I was parked there for only a few minutes, and my dash was covered in dust," Stone said.
Trustee Michele Black agreed.
"It's a huge problem, and I don't blame you for hammering us," she said.
Trustee Queenie Barz suggested fining the business.
"My concern is that it's been five weeks and nothing has been done. Where is the accountability?" she said.
Barz said that her son still coughs up stuff from working at the plant 10 years ago.
"What concerns me, is the workers," she said.
In other action, the Mancos Town Board voted to approve Willow North LLC's business permit renewal. Willow North is a medical marijuana dispensary.
