Plans are in motion to clean up the Gowanus Canal. But some residents are complaining the process is leaving behind a really bad smell.

"I've lived here for 50 years and in 50 years, I've never smelled how horrific it was here on Nevins Street," said Linda LaViolette, a member of the advocacy group Voice of Gowanus.

She said strong odors have been a huge issue for residents along Nevins and Sackett streets where the DEP is working to construct a giant underground tank to capture sewage overflow from the Gowanus Canal.

The work being done is part of the EPA's program to clean up the Superfund site. The contaminated soil will be trucked to designated waste facilities.

"A lot of those odors are due to very unsafe construction practices that they've been doing," said LaViolette. She says the coal tar being dug up is placing toxic chemicals into the air known as volatile organic compounds, which can cause people to get sick. But the DEP says none of the tests confirm the soil is hazardous and they're using several methods to reduce odor, including a non-toxic neutralizing spray.

"We're still concerned about how that much truck traffic coming through the neighborhood is going to disrupt the neighborhood," said LaViolette.

The DEP maintains truck traffic will actually be reduced since they've cut the timing of the planned excavation down to five months.