A few years after Travis Hughey moved his family into the country outside a small South Carolina town, he began to notice a stench drifting across his property.

The smell would sometimes seep inside his home, and wake the family up at night, he says. Other times, Hughey says it would float over his yard, making it difficult to enjoy a cookout.

“There were times when the odor was what I’d call debilitating,’’ he said. “You could not be outside working in it. I’m talking bad.’’

Now, after years of legal battles, lawyers have reached a settlement with the operators of a sewer sludge recycling center near Andrews that they hope will resolve the problems Hughey has complained about.

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