A sickening smell is blowin' in the wind from Dylan's estate

A portable toilet for Bob Dylan's hired help at his southern California compound is stinking up the oceanside neighborhood, and the folks across the street say they regularly fall ill from the stench.

Malibu homeowners Cindy and David Emminger said this morning that they have tried to contact the larger-than-life folk-rock icon about the smell, but they have had no success. The Emmingers said they also failed to get relief from the city or the company that owns the toilet.

The stink is so bad, Cindy Emminger said, that the couple and their 8-year-old son have had to move to the basement to flee the two-year-old smell. She said the odor is not from bodily waste but is "a really strong chemical smell" coming from the toilet.

She said she and her son have thrown up and suffered burning eyes and severe headaches as a result. Her husband has dodged symptoms so far, she said.

The Emmingers have tried blowing the smell back toward the 67-year-old Minnesota legend's compound with five industrial fans, but that also was not enough to impede the ocean breeze that carries the odor. The fans together cost more than $1,000, "but it's much better than having migraines and throwing up," she said.

She said the toilet was initially intended for use by the guards at the estate, but she has seen maids and gardeners use it as well.

Malibu Mayor Andy Stern said that code enforcement officials are aware of the Emmingers' complaint, but there are more pressing code investigations for the city right now. "We don't do things just for those who yell the loudest," Stern said.

A bit exasperated by all the attention this conflict between neighbors has generated, Stern said, "This is what my life comes down to, dealing with Bob Dylan's toilet."

In the meantime, the neighborhood also has a noise pollution problem, Stern said, because "there are helicopters flying overhead taking pictures of Bob Dylan's toilet."

The Los Angeles Times reported today that Dylan, who has lived there for more than two decades, did not respond to inquiries about the toilet. Nor did his New York-based attorney.

The company that owns the toilet, United Site Services, declined to comment.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482