ST. LOUIS (AP) — The operator of a suburban St. Louis landfill that is the source of a strong odor due to an underground fire has reached a settlement in a federal lawsuits filed by nearly three dozen nearby residents.

Bridgeton Landfill LLC announced the settlement Friday with 34 residents.

Their lawsuits claimed that they could not enjoy their own properties because of the often-horrific smell emanating from the landfill. Terms were not disclosed.

The landfill’s parent company, Republic Services, is spending millions of dollars to abate the smell and to ensure that the fire doesn’t spread.

The fire is particularly concerning because the adjacent West Lake Landfill, also owned by Republic Services, houses Cold War-era nuclear waste that was illegally buried there four decades ago.