and the stink goes on….

The Carthage turkey-parts-to-oil plant, promised to be emission free, is still stinking the place up, according to this local news story.
CARTHAGE, Mo. – A group of Carthage residents plans to raise concerns with the Carthage City Council about odors produced by a local company that converts poultry wastes to oil products.

Petitions are being circulated asking for a solution to the odors emitted from Renewable Environmental Solutions, according to Birl Pruitt, of Carthage.

The petition, being circulated in the downtown area, also asks that RES abide by its promise to the city that the plant operation would be odorless.

Trish Orr, whose home is northeast of the plant, said she and her neighbors are eager to sign the petitions and support the effort, even though they live outside the city limits.

“All the people in our development are really upset by the smell,” she said. “There are times that it’s just been awful.”

Orr, who lives at 1341 Jasmine Loop, just outside the city, said she believes she and her neighbors “should have a say even though we don’t live in town, because it’s a Carthage plant and we shop in Carthage.”

Pruitt said petitions will be available for signing before Tuesday’s council meeting, and that the group will make a presentation to the council at the 7:30 p.m. session.

The plant, located near the Butterball turkey plant in the north part of Carthage, uses new technology to convert waste from the turkey-processing plant into oil, gas and other marketing products. It is said to be the first operation of its kind in the nation. The plant began operations in May and has been increasing production ever since.

RES officials, after complaints were lodged in early August, shut down a malfunctioning piece of equipment they said was causing the odor problem. They said there had been odor problems at the plant as it moved to full production, but that the company was “committed to operating odor-free.”

Officers with the Carthage Fire Department have investigated odor complaints, including the one in early August.

“We’ve had a couple of complaints, but nothing major since then,” said fire Chief John Cooper.

He said company officials have been cooperative, and that the company will respond to complaints and send representatives into neighborhoods to check complaints.

“They’ll go out and talk to people, and find out if the odor is from them or something else. It’s not always them,” Cooper said.

Though the state has spent “a lot of time” working with residents and plant officials on that issue, RES has not been cited for any violations of state law, said Jonathan Garoutte, an environmental specialist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

“We’ve investigated complaints and done a lot of odor surveillance,” he said. “I know there have been multiple complaints, but to my knowledge, we have not cited them for any violations. The state law is written to be applied statewide, including rural areas, which of course is not the setting there.”

Joplin Globe